REQUEST WEEK
by leoslady4ever
Summary: Random one-shots based on requests by our loyal followers. NOTE: As of 6 PM, May 13th (US), we are no longer taking requests.
1. ANNOUNCEMENT

**Okay guys,**

**Thanks so much for your requests - we're already hard at work on them. However, please note that we have closed down the requesting phase of things. That means we have reached our limit, so please don't send in any more. We'll have to tell you no, and though we really hate to do that, the reality is - we just don't have time for any more. **

**For those of you that made it in time, we'll be posting them as quickly as we can. Please be patient and enjoy! :D**


	2. I Spy

_This request comes from my pal, **Approvesport**. I told you I'd write it, and I did. lol Love you girl! _

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**_Hiro Mashima_**_ owns Fairy Tail. _

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**I SPY**

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this..."

Lucy gaped at the girl beside her. "Talk you into this? It was your idea!"

Levy sniffed loudly as she peered over the window sill. "I think you're mistaken. It was clearly your idea. I couldn't care less about coming here."

"Says the girl that hasn't taken her eyes off of him since we arrived..." the blonde muttered, lifting her head just enough to see through the uncovered window. "What's he doing?"

Levy hummed as she tipped her head to the side. "Not sure. He just went into the bathroom."

"Damn...I was hoping we'd see something juicy."

The blue-haired girl drew back with wide eyes. "Like what?"

Lucy's mouth quirked into a naughty grin. "Like his ass."

"Oh Mavis...you are such a pervert. What would everyone say if they could see this side of you?" Levy balked, her expression honed with self-righteous disbelief.

"Again...this coming from the girl who's all but drooling over the thought of seeing him naked. Why else would you want to come spy on him?" Lucy grunted with a roll of her eyes. "At least I'm being honest."

The Script mage blinked rapidly, fighting rather pointlessly to control the blush that was already spreading across her face. Lucy was right of course. How many times had she dreamed of seeing Gajeel naked as the day he was born?

She sighed. "Fine, but this is the only time I intend to admit it."

"Once is all it takes," Lucy teased, a knowing grin spreading across her face. "Perv."

"Lu-chan!"

Lucy's response was to slap a hand over her blue-haired friend's mouth. "Shh...he's coming back."

They gazed in rapt attention as Gajeel clomped into the room, his hands reaching for the hem of his shirt.

"Oh..." Levy's fingers tightening on the wooden sill.

The pair pressed closer to the glass, and as the shirt came off, they both sighed.

"Sweet Mavis, that man is hot," Lucy hummed.

"Mhmm..." the blunette agreed. "Wish I could..."

She trailed off, and Lucy glanced over, finding her friend's face tinged pink. "Wish you could what?" she whispered.

Her answer was an embarrassed squeak. "Nothing!"

Lucy barely stifled her giggle, even going so far as to bite her lip to keep from making a sound. But it was too funny how much Levy tried to keep her crush on the Iron Slayer a secret. Wasn't like she was fooling anyone.

But as Gajeel's hands strayed to the waistband of his pants, the urge to laugh fell away, and both girls were struck silent. Were they actually going to see him strip?

"Come on..."

Lucy found herself egging him on, and though Levy uttered not a single word, the licking of her lips said it all. They were naughty girls to say the least, but who could blame them? Here was one of the sexiest men in the guild, and he was moments away from being completely and gloriously nude. Who could expect them to turn away?

They held their collective breaths as the button came undone, the zipper following just after, and then he turned his back to them and dropped his pants. The air whooshed out of their lungs as they took in the sight of a firm round backside.

His was a perfect specimen, and both girls took several seconds to admire it properly before Levy broke the silence. "Oh wow..."

"Now that is a fine ass," Lucy mumbled, her hand clenching with the desire to reach out for a little squeeze.

The smaller girl nodded mutely, her face all but flat against the window pane, and Lucy was doing no better. The blonde had moved so close, her breath kept fogging up the glass. It was frustrating to her and Levy alike to be stuck apart from the man inside.

Both found themselves shifting uncomfortably as they waited for Gajeel to turn around. They knew at some point he'd have to. Surely fate wouldn't be so cruel as to tease them with a feast and then deny them.

"Just a little turn," Levy whispered, her fingers brushing against the window as if she could reach out and touch him.

It would have been the perfect opportunity for Lucy to tease her. It would have been so easy, but the Celestial Spirit mage was in no position to judge. She was every bit as antsy as her cohort. She wanted so badly to see Gajeel in all his naked glory.

And then, he was shifting. He came to a stop, showing his body in perfect profile and the part of his anatomy that they'd been secretly itching to see.

Levy gasped softly at the tempting sight. "Oh my God, he's..."

"Huge..." Lucy supplied, her voice gone soft and breathy. "He's so...snackable."

"Lucy!"

Levy couldn't believe her friend was so vocal about her baser desires. She couldn't disagree with her best friend, but there was no way the blunette would ever be able to speak so casually about it.

"What?" Lucy fired back, pausing in her perusal of Gajeel's body to look at the Script mage. "He is. Why can't you just admit you'd like to lick him like a lollipop?"

Her eyes wide, Levy blushed again. "I..."

Suddenly a loud chuckle sounded within the house, and both girls turned to find Gajeel standing in front of the window, his thick shaft standing to attention just in front of their faces. "If you girls wanted a look, all you had to do was ask."

The startled girls gasped, and though neither would admit it, they struggled to look beyond the incredible sight at eye level. But when they did, they found a man truly amused at what they'd done. Still, they couldn't help the stark red that spread across their faces.

They glanced at each other and gulped. What had they gotten themselves into?

As one, they rose to their feet, fully intending to race away from the scene of their crime, but once again, his voice called to them.

"Hey, there's no need to run. I'm more than capable of entertaining you both."


	3. Naughty Nap Time

_Okay this was a request from **Otaku Chef. **Hope you enjoy! :D_

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**_Hiro Mashima _**_owns Fairy Tail._

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**NAUGHTY NAP TIME**

"Ahhh..." Lucy yawned, stretching her arms up above her head. "I'm so tired."

"Why don't you head home then?" Erza suggested.

With a quick shake of her head, the blonde refused. "I don't want to leave just yet. It's barely 3. Maybe I'll just run upstairs and lie down for a bit."

Lucy stood to her feet, giving Natsu a pointed look before she moved off toward the stairs. Behind her, she heard her partner rise and offer his own excuses. "Yeah, a nap sounds good."

Natsu feel in behind her, both of them keeping their cool until they walked in the room the guild had converted into a resting place. The moment the door closed behind them, Lucy found herself pushed up against the wall, Natsu's mouth coming down roughly on her own.

A low hum reverberated up her throat as the fire slayer thrust his tongue between her lips, and she arched into his touch. Her hands tore at his vest, pushing it from his shoulders until he was gloriously bare from the waist up.

"Natsu..."

Her moan had the aroused man pressing into her, grinding himself against her slightly spread legs. She always got to him like this, drawing that dragon-like part of him from its hiding place and making him lose control. And he liked it.

His own hands grasped at her top, discarding the shirt and the tiny scrap she called a bra so fast Gray would be jealous. He had to have her, had to feel her naked and wet for him.

Lucy was no better. She burned for him, her body aching with an insatiable desire, and she reached for his pants, dragging the zipper down with practiced ease. Her hand slipped inside, her touch impatient over his straining cock, and he growled his approval.

His own hunger raged, his discipline demolished with the first stroke of her deft fingers, and he snapped. There was no time to remove her skirt, no time to do more than rip through the thin fabric that shielded her sex from him, and with that barrier removed, his need exploded.

He hoisted her up and pinned her against the hard surface behind her, enjoying the slight gasp that slipped from her parted lips. She clutched at his shoulders, her face a mask of fierce desire, and he could wait no longer.

A moment later, he was pressing his throbbing shaft to her entrance, and with a groan of pleasure, he drove himself inside. She was wet and tight, and that never failed to drive him wild. He grunted as he set a rough pace, his quick thrusts bucking her body up and jostling her perfect breasts just the way he liked.

Lucy could see the way he eyed her chest, that fire in his eyes that always set her blood to boiling, and she threaded her hands in his hair and drew his face down. A rumble left his mouth as he sucked at her tit, sending a steady stream of vibrations down her spine.

"Oh God..." she hummed.

He dominated her body, commanding it with mouth and cock, and she gave herself over to it, let his ministrations fill her to the brink until she could take no more. And Natsu knew it. Just before her orgasm hit, he clapped a hand over her mouth, sucking and fucking her to completion.

But he wasn't done. He wanted to see her writhe, needed to see her come apart one more time. So he rode her hard, speared himself into her wet heat over and over again until she was stiffening against him once again.

Her breath left her, and a wail climbed her throat. But Natsu was there, covering her mouth with his own as he thundered into her quaking sheath. And she let go, let the climax smash into her and sweep her away on its delicious tide. She was helpless to move, helpless to stop it, and she wouldn't if she could. It was heaven on earth...

Natsu snarled as his rhythm faltered, and he drove up into her hard, his body smacking loudly into hers until he found his release. With a ragged shout, he came, shooting his hot seed deep into her welcoming warmth.

He slumped into her, using his own body's weight to keep her up until he could find his legs again. There was something so raw about their couplings, and every time caught him by surprise. Somehow, in all the months they'd been together, the intensity had never waned, and he hoped it would always be that way.

"Oh Natsu..." Lucy's face morphed into a satisfied grin, and she leaned in to drop a soft kiss on his mouth. "That was...so damn good."

His lips lifted at her breathy compliment, and he slowly eased her back down. "You know we're gonna get caught doing this."

"Maybe," she quipped, her expression completely unconcerned. "Do you really care?"

"Not one damn bit."


	4. First Time's A Charm

_Okay this request is for **RandomReaderFT** and my good pal, **ErzaDreyar **who both agree that age is just a number! lol Hope you enjoy! :D_

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**_Hiro Mashima _**_owns Fairy Tail._

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**FIRST TIME'S A CHARM**

It was late in the evening, nearing 8 if Lucy wasn't mistaken, and she was sitting alone at Cana's house. It was quiet but for the sound of the radio playing in the living room, and it was just about to drive her to drink.

"Oh wait," she giggled. "I already am."

The two had spent the last hour draining Cana's reserves until the card mage had gotten a call, mostly likely from an equally drunk Bacchus. Then it was every chick for herself, and Cana was scooting out the door with promises of making it a 'quick hump'.

Lucy shrugged as she picked up her bottle and lifted it to her mouth. At least one of them was getting some.

_Course, it would have been better if it had been me_, she mused.

Sadly, her V-card still had yet to be punched, and she was damn tired of waiting. And of course, she had to be best friends with the most sex-crazed woman in Fairy Tail, which didn't bother her normally. It was only those times that the jealousy sank in, and she wondered if she'd ever get to be the one getting hammered like a stubborn nail.

She supposed she could have had sex by now if she had - as Cana was constantly telling her - lowered her standards. But she didn't want some sloppy-handed guy fumbling all over her body like a toddler grasping for toys. She wanted her first time to be memorable, not necessarily with 'The One'. She wasn't waiting for true love to come by and sweep her off her feet. She just wanted a man who really knew what he was doing.

Was that too much to ask? A man who knew how to please a woman, knew where to touch and how to kiss. Yeah, she wanted to walk away more satisfied than she'd ever been before...not left wanting more.

And now she was rhyming...

A laugh burst from her mouth just as a knock sounded at the door. And seeing how the owner was currently out for a little knocking of the boots, Lucy skipped her way over to the door. Pulling it back, she spied her visitor and promptly grinned.

"Gildarts!" she exclaimed with a slight slur. "What perfect timing!"

The man lifted a brow at the clearly tipsy young woman. He'd never seen her quite so...exuberant. "Had a little to drink tonight Lucy?"

"Yep!" She nodded cheerfully, then winked and tapped her finger to his nose. "No need to be jealous. I'll be happy to share!"

Gildarts gave a deep laugh and followed her into the house. "Sounds good. Now, where's that daughter of mine?"

"Oh she abandoned me for a while," Lucy pouted. "Apparently, I'm not as important as getting laid. She'll be back in about an hour, I think."

With that, she plopped down gracefully on the couch and pulled him down in the spot beside her. "Come drink with me Gildarts. Let's commiserate my lack of a sex life."

"I'm sorry...what?"

Lucy gazed up at his stunned face and slowly explained, "We have to drink because I'm not having sex."

"And why's that?" he asked, his expression slowly turning more amused.

"I don't know. Cana says I'm too picky, " she sighed, and taking a long swallow from her bottle, asked, "It's not too much to want a real man, right? Not some boy who doesn't know what he's doing. That's not nuts, is it?"

Gildarts gave a short laugh, settling lower into the cushy sofa. "I meant - why did we need to drink to that? But to answer your question – no, that sounds perfectly reasonable."

"See? That's what I said!" she intoned, then handed him a cold drink from the cooler beside the couch. "You are a genius, my friend."

"Is that so?" he chuckled again. He'd never seen his daughter's friend so animated before, and certainly never so bold about such a naughty topic. He couldn't deny he found her innocence rather enticing, but being the older man meant it could go no further, not when she was so close to his own daughter.

So he pushed aside his attraction and resigned himself to waiting out the next hour with the perky blonde. It would be no chore for him...but for the interest simmering inside him.

Lucy nodded her head. "Yeah, and you're pretty hot too." She glanced over at the man and slowly straightened. "That gives me an idea..."

Brow winging up at the blonde's change in demeanor, Gildarts asked, "And what's that?"

"You could do it," she giggled excitedly, setting her bottle on the table and all but bouncing with excitement. "Holy shit, why didn't I think of this before?"

"Care to elaborate? I could do what?"

A large smile slipped across her face as she considered the man beside her. He was older - far more mature than most guys she'd met - and quite frankly, the man was sexy as hell. Surely he could give her a good time.

Without giving it another thought, she eased up onto her knees and threw a leg over his lap. "You could give me my first time."

Gildarts stilled as she seated herself so comfortably over his crotch, her legs folded perfectly to either side of his body. It was like she'd read his mind, which would have been disconcerting if she wasn't doing exactly what he'd wanted her to do.

"You want _me_ to take your virginity..." he clarified.

"Yes." Lucy gave a brief nod of her head as she scooted a little higher. She was pleased to feel a distinct hardening beneath her, and giving her hips an experimental roll over him, she grinned knowingly. "Seems like the idea appeals to you."

"A great many things appeal to me," he rumbled, grabbing hold of her hips before she could press her ass into his lap again. She was sorely testing his control, but he wouldn't jeopardize things with Cana for a night with the pretty blonde. "But that doesn't mean I act on them all."

Lucy frowned down at him. She couldn't believe it. "You're gonna turn me down? Is it the age thing?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "It's more the 'you being friends with my daughter' thing."

Lucy couldn't help it. She snorted, and it was neither ladylike nor cute. "You're kidding me, right?" At his look of confusion, she laughed. "Cana wouldn't give two damns about it."

Gildarts thought about what she'd said, and slowly began to relax. Cana was an extremely open person about sex, second only to himself probably. And maybe that's where she'd gotten it from - like father, like daughter he supposed. He'd just always felt like sex was something to be enjoyed, not something to be ashamed of. And Cana seemed to have adopted the same lifestyle.

Maybe Lucy was right...

With that thought, his blood began to simmer, his cock growing thick with desire, and almost as if she felt his resistance fading, Lucy's face went smug. "Feels like a yes to me," she teased, rubbing her ass in a circle over his arousal.

Gildarts had to grin at her confidence. Such a thing in someone so innocent was a tempting contradiction, and waving goodbye to the last of his restraint, he reached for her shirt and yanked it up off her body. "Does that answer your question?"

It took only a matter of moments for Lucy to be stripped naked and tucked under Gildarts' hard body, and though the transition was a bit of a blur to her, she couldn't complain. Gildarts had been attentive as hell during the course of her disrobing, his hands seeming to touch every inch of her fevered form, his lips skating over her sensitive flesh, his teeth nipping at places she hadn't known could be erogenous.

The man seemed to have a map of her body, of every spot that would make her shudder with glee, of all the secret places that would send her whimpering with need. And now she was desperate for him, and by the smirk that skittered across his face, that was exactly how he wanted it.

She arched into him, her needy body pleading silently for his attentions, and Gildarts was not one to leave a woman hanging. He wanted nothing more than to slide between her spread legs and bury himself inside her, but he wasn't a boy, hadn't been for a long time. And he had learned long ago how to subdue his own libido in favor of pleasuring a woman.

This was Lucy's first time, and she had wanted a real man...and a real man she would have.

Gildarts eased down her slim body, nipping and sucking at first her perky breasts until she was moaning with barely restrained passion, then down her flat belly. He stopped momentarily to shower his appreciation on her cute navel, before moving on to his destination.

Lucy gasped as he settled his broad shoulders between her legs, his face so close to her aching center. It was more than her first time having sex. It was a first for her in a lot of areas, like what he was about to do.

Gildarts seemed to notice her hesitation, and he looked up at her from his position between her thighs. "Have you ever had a man do this before?"

"N-No..." she stammered, feeling more than a little foolish. She had a grown man ready to lick her all the way down the yellow brick road, and she was acting like a...well, like a lily white virgin. But she'd been the one to ask. She'd initiated this, so shouldn't she be more bold?

But Gildarts simply smiled. "Sweet..." His head dipped then, and he drew in a deep breath. "The sweet ones always taste the best."

That one statement was enough to assure Lucy of his experience, but strange though it may seem, it didn't bother her. On the contrary, the fact that he knew what he was doing served to soothe away the last of her frazzled nerves. Drunk or not, this was a big deal, and as such, there was bound to be some reservations.

But she trusted him, trusted that he would take care of her.

His touch was gentle, coaxing, and under his attentive care, she relaxed and opened to him. And he took it for the offering it was, leaning in and pressing soft kisses up her shapely thigh. By the time he neared her sex, she was breathless with anticipation, and he could see she was finally ready.

Deft fingers reached for her, parting her swollen lips, and then she could feel him there, delving into her for the first time. She nearly came up off the couch at the incredible sensation and barely stopped a loud gasp from exiting her mouth. She couldn't believe how amazing this felt. In spite of all the things Cana had told her about oral sex, she never could have imagined this.

Gildarts could feel her quivering, her body edging toward its end, and excitement rose inside him at the thought of tasting her sweet release. He gave himself over to it, increasing his ministrations until she was writhing beneath him. Her legs stiffened around his head, and with a final swipe of his tongue, she shattered.

He drank her down like a fine wine, glorying in the sound of his name on her lips. He had known she would be responsive, that she'd be one of those women who naturally gave all they had to the enjoyment of sex, and he was right. She had held nothing back, and he liked that.

It appealed to him on a carnal level, to all his basest desires, and he found himself anxious to seat himself inside her. With a last appreciative look at her glistening sex, he climbed up her sweat slicked body. "Are you ready?"

Lucy shivered at the raspy sound of his voice, and unable to find the words to speak, she nodded her assent.

He shifted above her, his hand guiding his thick shaft to her entrance, and Lucy couldn't stop the moan that crept up her throat when he slid himself along her slit. She'd never felt such need. It was consuming her, and that steady stroke over her clit was driving her mad.

Why was he teasing her when it was taking everything she had not grab his hips and yank him into her aching body? "Gildarts..." she whimpered, arching her body in a silent plea.

Hearing the desperation in her voice, Gildarts angled his hips and slammed forward, ripping away her virginity in one fell swoop. She gasped, and her hands clenched at his arms as the initial pain swept through her. And he waited, giving her time to adjust to their joining.

He leaned down and kissed her, taking care to ease her back in, to stoke the fires within her slowly until she was arching up into him once more. He let her lead him, let her body tell him when she was ready, and then she reached for his hips, pulling at them almost mindlessly in her eagerness for him to move.

Lucy marveled at his patience, and then marveled again at the intense sensations he wrought in her body as he began to plunge in and out of her. Her breaths came out shaky, the soft panting sounds matching the pace he set almost perfectly, and before long, she could feel herself climbing again.

Gildarts could tell she was getting close, could hear it in the quickness of her breaths, in the soft whimpers that slipped up from her throat, and he steeled himself to push her through this orgasm and into the next one. He was no quick shot boy, and he would not stop at just two. He would make sure this was one night Lucy would never forget.

Sure enough, it wasn't a minute later and Lucy was bowing up against him, her head tipping back and her mouth falling open with a loud moan. But Gildarts didn't stop. He kept his pace steady, lengthening her pleasure as long as possible.

Lucy's body hummed under his skillful touch, and she could scarcely believe it when another orgasm slammed into her. She was certain this one would signal the end, but Gildarts showed no sign of slowing down, even lengthening his strokes to keep up his momentum.

The man seemed to have no shortage of stamina, and that set her blood to simmering. He just kept ratcheting up the pleasure, pouring himself into her in smooth even thrusts that forced her air out in shuddering pants.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and Cana strode into the room. "What the hell are you two up to?" she asked with an arched brow as she came to a stop beside the couch.

"Um..."Lucy managed with a breathy giggle. "The same thing you were?"

Gildarts said nothing as he scanned the room for something to cover the two of them up, and Cana rolled her eyes and walked over to her favorite chair. She drew a blanket from the back and threw it at him. "Cover your white ass, old man. Nobody wants to see that."

"I do," the blonde chirped, causing Gildarts to chuckle in amusement.

"Oh jeez...she gets fucked one time, and she's gone straight to perv town." Cana shook her head, then gave them a little wave. "I'm going to bed. Keep it down, would ya?"

With that, the brunette was gone, leaving Gildarts alone with a smug albeit still very horny woman.

"I told you," she mentioned as she flexed her hips against him.

"So you did." Gildarts grinned down at her, before leaning down to whisper in her ear, "And that deserves a reward."


	5. Kisses Down Low

_So this story came from hearing the song "Kisses Down Low" by Kelly Rowland just once. I don't really care too much about the song itself, but some of the lyrics caught my attention and another GrayLu was born. _

_Hope you enjoy **DuchessKaterina14**! This one's for you :D_

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail. _

_**Kelly Rowland** owns her song. I however, own nothing but this pervy idea for a story._

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**~~~~~~~~~KISSES DOWN LOW~~~~~~~~~**

"Gray, go get Lucy. We're going on a job."

Raising a brow at Erza's command, I asked, "Shouldn't we ask if she wants to go first?"

"She's a member of this team, so of course she'll be going. Now hurry up. You need to be back here in one hour," she announced, then turned and left to get packed.

Rolling my eyes, I headed out of the guild. It was ridiculous to argue with the woman. I wasn't even sure why I'd tried. Still, I wasn't unhappy with the job she'd given me. A chance to spend time with my blonde team mate was reason enough to go along with Erza's plan.

There was just something about that girl...Lucy, not Erza, though there was something about the redhead...something scary as hell, I thought. But I was getting distracted. I meant Lucy. She was really special. It was no wonder I had found myself developing feelings for her, and it wasn't just because of the closeness of our team. It was more than that.

I genuinely liked her. She was smart, and funny, and anyone with eyes could see she was flat out gorgeous. And more than once, I'd thought about what it would be like to be with her, to call her mine.

That would be the most incredible thing ever, I was sure, but I wasn't any closer to asking her out than I had been two months ago. I'd been trying to get closer to her, see if I could find any hint of her seeing me the way I saw her. But there had been nothing.

It was damn frustrating, especially when it seemed like she and Natsu hit it off without a single problem. Maybe she liked him.

The thought soured my mood and instantly brought a scowl to my face. There was no way in hell I could stomach the two of them together, holding hands and cuddling at the guild and on jobs. Hell no...I couldn't let that happen. The only guy I could handle with Lucy was me.

Before I knew it, I was standing before Lucy's building. I made my way up the back staircase to her apartment on the second floor, but as I reached her door, I was surprised to hear loud music coming from her room.

Turning the knob, I pushed open the door and all but gaped at the scene I found. A song I'd heard before - courtesy of Cana - was playing on her radio, pulsing through the small apartment. A quick glance around revealed Lucy in all her curvy glory, prancing around the room as she cleaned. I was stunned that she was listening to that song, but more than that, I was flabbergasted by the fact that she seemed to know every line.

I watched as she rolled her hips in time with the music, dipping down low all while singing her heart out. She was sexy as hell, and I couldn't help that I was getting turned on. I'd had no idea she could move like that, that she enjoyed dancing so provocatively, but I sure as hell wasn't complaining.

"So boy just take your time, send chills down my spine..."

If only she knew how much I wanted to do that...how many times I'd thought about stripping her down and worshiping that body of hers all night long. Then we'd wake up, and I'd do it all over again.

"Boy you turn me on, got me feeling hot..."

Damn how I wished that was the case, that I was the man who turned her on. If she'd just give me the chance, I'd do everything she liked, give her everything she desired. I'd make sure she never needed anything.

With a sad shake of my head, I sighed. Why was I doing this? She hadn't shown any sign of wanting me, so why was I torturing myself this way, forcing myself to imagine all sorts of crazy things that were never going to happen?

But I couldn't stop...couldn't stop watching her, couldn't stop wanting her.

She bounced her way over to her bookcase and began dusting off all her trinkets. She moved down the shelf, bending over and waving her ass in my direction. I swear my mouth watered, and all I could picture was bending her over her couch and slamming myself inside her tight body. The visual was so real, I felt my cock harden.

What the hell was I doing? I almost turned around and left, deciding to make up an excuse to Erza when Lucy reached for her copy of the Team Natsu picture. I froze for a moment, wondering if she'd give me the proof I needed to get over her. Would I finally see her admit her feelings for the pink-haired idiot?

But what I saw made my heart pound in my chest. She smiled down at the photo, then pressed her finger to her lips as if in a kiss, and touched it to my face in the picture. I couldn't believe it. She wasn't after Natsu...she wanted me?

I took a step forward, then stopped. I had not idea what to say. Lucy wasn't the type to appreciate such an invasion of her privacy, so I needed a plan.

Before I could go any further, she was bending over to put the picture back, but she stayed like that, looking at the photograph as she sang, "I like my kisses down low...makes me arch my back..." Then she pointed a finger at me in the picture. "When you give it to me slow...Baby, just like that..."

_Holy shit_...the thoughts she was igniting in my brain pushed me past the point of no return. Plan or no plan, I could no longer just stand there and watch. I needed to know if she really wanted that, because I sure as hell did.

"Lucy," I called out as I made my way toward her.

She turned around with a gasp, her face flaming red as she realized what I'd just seen her do. She backed away, her hand tugging nervously at her shorts. "G-Gray...what are you doing here?"

"I don't even care anymore..." I said as I stalked closer, caging her against the back of the couch. "I just need to know one thing."

She bit her lip so temptingly and leaned back a bit. "What's that?"

Fitting myself against her body, I held her gaze with my eyes and asked, "Is that really where you want my kiss?"


	6. Saving You, Saving Me

_Wow...this one was a wild one. This story came from two different requests that I managed to thread together. It made for a really interesting plot line, and I sincerely hope you guys enjoy it. _

**_ReaperOfEarthland _**_and **Thieves' Treasure**, this one's for you. _

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**_Hiro Mashima _**_owns Fairy Tail._

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**SAVING YOU, SAVING ME**

Dawn was coming, the sun rising fast as Crime Sorciere trudged into the small town of Atwater. They were weary from their journey, but that was beside the point. They were here on a mission.

There had been rumors of a demon plaguing the towns around this area, tales of its wild fury. The people were afraid, and that fear had brought the trio out of hiding. It was their lives' mission to rid the world of evil, to protect the innocent, and to somehow find some peace with their past sins. Perhaps this would be the job to clear their consciences.

Ultear found her mind wandering as they made their way through the town's center, returning to his past misdeeds and all the people she'd harmed over the years. She'd been so lost back then, so certain she had a righteous cause because of her mother's suspected betrayal. She had been such a fool, and now there were so many souls to make amends with.

A very large portion of her guilt lay with Fairy Tail. Her wrong against them was colossal, and though the guild at large had assured her they bore her no ill will, she still could not relinquish the regret that rode her so hard. It was simply a part of her now, and she knew she would carry it all of her days.

She'd managed to assist them in a small measure once by activating a select few of their guild members' second origin magic, but it was a small thing, not nearly big enough to encompass her ills. Still, it was a start, and she'd continue to try to make it up to them every chance she got.

And now, they needed all the help they could get. With Natsu disappearing and staying gone for the last 3 years, Fairy Tail was finding it hard to keep their faith. She knew that many of them had give up, had stopped going out to look for the lost man, but she refused. He was just another in a long list of people she owed a generous payback, and until that was satisfied, she couldn't quit.

Of course, that didn't stop their small group from going where they were needed, like this quest they were currently on. She'd had to put aside her search for the pink-haired man in favor of tracking down this being people were calling a demon, but it was just a temporary setback. She would repay her debt to Fairy Tail, and she would do it by bringing their beloved and unruly guild member back home.

Hours later, they were finally on the right track. They'd hunted through the entirety of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon before she stumbled upon the creature they sought. But it wasn't a creature. Certainly the being before them was dangerous, down right vicious if the snarl that erupted from its mouth was any indication, but it was human.

Or at least it was. Ultear could scarcely believe her eyes. She'd searched for the better part of the last three years for this man, and here he was. Though it was hardly ideal. Something had obviously happened to him, some trauma that had shut down his humanity and left him a violent shell of a man.

He hadn't taken kindly to them interrupting a particularly nasty attack on a large herd of cattle, and had since attempted to cleave their heads from their bodies. The Natsu they'd known before was powerful no doubt, but there'd been a gentleness to him that allowed him to forgive, to pardon even the most hardened of criminals.

But this beastly version of him was so far gone, it was nearly impossible to recognize him. If not for his trademark pink hair and easily distinguishable guild mark, Ultear would have assumed it was someone else. He was feral – there was no other way to describe it. He had lost himself somewhere along the way, and more than anything, she wanted to have a hand in bringing him back.

"Natsu..." she called, hoping to somehow jog his memory with his name.

He paused, the muscles of his bare chest tensing, and for a moment, she was certain she'd seen a flash of recognition in his eyes, but just as quickly, it was gone. Then he was launching himself at her, his lips curled back in a sneer. She could have defended herself, could have deflected the hit, but Ultear refused to hurt him more than he already had been.

So she let her body go limp and down they went, Natsu's heavy form slamming atop hers a moment after she hit the ground. She struggled to push air back into her lungs, but the instant she did, she rolled them, reversing their positions until she was in control once more.

"Natsu!" she shouted, tightening her legs around his hips to keep him still. "Snap out of it!"

His eyes widened marginally at the sound of her voice, and for the second time, he stilled. She wondered if she'd finally reached him, and she found that hope was swelling in her chest at the thought of returning him to his friends.

But all that was shattered when Jellal moved to help secure him. The moment the blue-haired man's hand came in contact with Natsu's skin, the fire mage went nuts, bucking beneath her with a strength that required everything she had to stay on top. His eyes lit with fury, and he lashed out at the other man.

Jellal's eyes narrowed. "He's not attacking you anymore."

Ultear had noticed that too, and she was glad for it. It would make it all the more easy to complete her mission. "You should leave. Take Meredy with you."

She couldn't be sure Natsu wouldn't change his mind about hurting her, but what choice did she have? Jellal's presence was only inflaming the situation. If worse came to worst, she could always use her magic to slow him down, but she knew she'd only go that route if things became untenable.

However, her male partner shook his head furiously. "We can't leave you here with him like this."

"Go Jellal. I can handle it. You're only making it worse."

"Ul no!" Meredy cried out, her face a mask of fear. "Let me stay and help." She moved closer, the pink-haired woman determined to prove that Natsu would allow her assistance too.

But the man beneath Ultear reared up again, firing a loud vicious roar in the younger woman direction, missing only by a moment due to Jellal's quick thinking.

"Go!" Ultear shouted, pressing down harder on the struggling man's body. "Get out of here!"

Her two friends gave a last concerned look and began to step back. "I'm giving you an hour, and then we're coming back," Jellal said.

His tone brooked no arguments, but Ultear wasn't swayed. "Make it two. Now go..."

She needed all her senses right now, needed to be able to focus on Natsu without the added stress of looking out for her partners. Thankfully, Jellal seemed to understand that, and with a hand on her arm, he steered Meredy out of the clearing and back the way they'd come.

Silence reigned for a time until a low growl slipped from Natsu's mouth. "Get off of me."

"Not yet." Ultear shook her head slowly. "I can't do that until I know you're okay, that you're not going to attack me again."

"I won't hurt you," he said in that same gravelly tone. His brow furrowed at his promise, almost as if he didn't know why he'd vowed such a thing.

He seemed genuinely confused by the notion, but Ultear took it as a good sign. Slowly, she released her rigid grip on his shoulders and let her hands rest against his chest. "I'm glad to hear that, but let's just take things slow, shall we?"

Natsu's eyes slid from her face, immediately moving to the hands settled so comfortably atop him. His expression softened just a bit, and she couldn't help wondering when the last time was that anyone had touched him. Following a voice in her head, she brushed a thumb over his skin and watched with rapt fascination as his breathing hitched.

His gaze never left her hand, and she found herself spreading her fingers and rewarding him with a much more in depth caress. He acted like a man starved for attention, as if he hadn't had human contact in ages. Where had he been all these years?

"Natsu," she called softly, continuing to stroke his fevered flesh comfortingly. "Do you know who I am?"

His head lifted, his eyes unerringly finding her and locking on tight. He appeared confounded by the question, and he shook his head. He stilled instantly and then nodded slowly. He frowned, his face sliding into an expression of uncertainty. "She called you Ul."

"My name is Ultear. I'm with Crime Sorciere, just Jellal and Meredy." She kept her voice low, gentle in hopes that she could ease him further into a place of calm. "Do you remember them?"

At the mention of the man's name, Natsu bared his teeth, but Ultear ignored it. "You're a mage of Fairy Tail. Do you remember them? Lucy? Erza? Gray? Happy? Your friends?"

"Friends?" His head moved side to side, his demeanor changing yet again as she pressed the conversation forward.

"Yes, your friends...like me."

Natsu studied her for a moment before looking down at her hands again. Somehow, she had managed to slide her hands all the way down his chest and even now, she realized she'd been grazing her fingers over his carved abs.

Shaking her head free of the vision of his cut form, she moved her hands back up. She couldn't believe she was letting herself get distracted like this. She was here for one thing – to save him. There wasn't time for anything else.

"Natsu...where have you been? We've been looking for you for 3 years."

At her question, he froze, his body stiffening so much it looked painful, and then he turned his head aside. Beneath her hand, his heart pounded in his chest, the poor organ tapping out a near frantic rhythm.

Of its own accord, her hand reached out, drawing his face back toward her. Her fingers cupped his cheek, and he shuddered beneath her touch, his eyes closing as if in immense pleasure.

"Ultear..."

The word was a whisper, but she heard it for the plea it was. It was like he was crying out for something, but she didn't know what it was. She wasn't entirely sure he knew what it was either, but it didn't take a genius to hear the need in that soft tone.

Her touch seemed to soothe him, seemed to draw more of that old Natsu out, and so she kept it up. She brushed gentle fingers over his face, learning all the angles and planes until she was certain she could find him with her eyes closed. She didn't even know why she was doing this, but something told her this was the way to find him, this was the way to bring him home.

Her hands smoothed down his neck, and once again, he shivered at her touch. His voice came a moment later, that gutteral sound from before slowly slipping away. "Feels...so good."

Such an innocent line shouldn't have called to her like it did, shouldn't have set a fire deep in her belly, but it did. Because he was finding comfort in her. Had anyone other than Meredy ever found her presence to be comforting? Maybe her mother before it was went wrong, but there was no one else.

And there Natsu lay, his face shifting with contentment as she stroked her hands along his chest. His eyes were closed, showing the trust he'd already bestowed upon her, and she couldn't stop the jolt of pleasure she felt at that. Maybe he wouldn't feel that way if he remembered her, but she couldn't resist taking it for the gift it was.

She might not ever have a chance to do such good, but she had to be honest. She wanted to do this, and her reasons weren't all for the greater good. There was a distinct part of her that wanted this all for herself. That selfish part of her wanted to press her lips to his, see how he tasted, and it had nothing to do with trying to help him.

Of course, that desire was there, but it was nothing compared to the hunger that was slowly building up inside her. It was wrong – she knew it, but she was helpless to stop it. She could only tamp her naughty thoughts down and hope they would go away. She couldn't take advantage of him in such a way.

But she had forgotten something about Natsu. He was a Dragon Slayer, and as such, he had been blessed with a most impressive sense of smell. And right now, his eyes were narrowed to slits, and his nose lifted to the air as if scenting it. And she knew what he was smelling. She hadn't been able to hide from him quick enough.

"You smell like sex..." he rasped, sitting up so abruptly that she nearly lost her balance. He reached for her, drawing her body close enough to shove his nose into the curve of her shoulder. He took a deep breath and sighed, "Like heaven..."

Ultear didn't quite know what to say. He had surprised her with what he'd said, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't turned on. But reminding herself that it was wrong, she tried to lean away. "Natsu, I don't think-"

Her words cut off as he sank his teeth into her neck. She gasped as he sucked at the bite, her mind thoroughly blown and her body lighting up in record time. "Natsu..."

His name was a breathy moan, and she berated herself for being so weak. But Natsu's response had her throwing caution to the wind, her fragile control lying in tatters around her.

His body hardened almost instantly beneath her, and a deep rumble crept up his throat as he held her tight against him. His hands came up, ripping at the collar of her shirt and splitting the offending piece of cloth. His mouth came down hard on her shoulder, sucking and biting to his heart's content, and Ultear let him.

She would have let him have her anyway if it meant saving him, but to have heat spilling through her veins like this made everything far more enticing. Her body wanted him, and strangely enough, she was okay with it. She wanted him to take her, use her body to crawl his way back from the dark.

If she could be that for him, maybe the well of guilt would empty a little, maybe she would finally be able to sleep the whole night through without a single nightmare. The fact that she was attracted to him was a surprising and wonderful bonus, and she gave herself over to it.

She let him have his way with her, let him strip away the clothes from her body and touch every single inch he exposed. By the time he was done, she gasping with desire and straining against him. It took him only a moment to roll them over and sink himself between her legs, and she was more than happy to have him there.

He was heat and hardness, and he hammered into her throbbing body with a vigor she'd only experienced a time or two in her life. His lovemaking matched his magic perfectly, his movements rough, his thrusts fierce.

It was all she could do to keep her silence as he twisted her body up in knots, pouring pleasure into her very soul. He took her higher and higher, and even when she exploded around him, it wasn't enough. He didn't stop, didn't slow down, didn't quit until he'd wrung one orgasm after another from her body.

She fought valiantly to restrain the scream that longed to come out, tried so hard not to let on to the world around them just what this man was doing to her, but on her third climax, she couldn't keep it in. It shot from her mouth like a wild animal escaping a cage, his name echoing in the empty forest, and stirring him to new heights.

A growl ripped from his throat at her surrender, and he drove up into her soaked depths with a renewed sense of purpose. She clung to his shoulders, her legs tightening around his hips as he pistoned into her trembling body. Though she could hardly believe it, she was climbing again, the walls of her sex quivering with what she could tell would be her most intense orgasm of the night.

And Natsu seemed to know it too. He drove in deep, sliding his thick shaft over a spot that would ensure her tumble over the other side, and she cried out for him again, her voice nothing more than a wail of pleasure.

The moment her climax was complete, his rhythm faltered, his hips sinking against her in spasms until he found his own release. He came with a shout, his head thrown back as he howled his end to the sky.

Ultear had never seen a sight so stunning, and as his head tipped back down, she found herself captivated by his gaze. A light dawned in his eyes, a spark of what he used to be, and he collapsed on top of her weary form.

The air stuttered out of his lungs, and Ultear reached a hand up, gliding it along the slick skin of his back. Her action brought a hum of contentment from his chest, and she had to smile. She loved that she had brought him such pleasure.

"Thank you..."

The whispered words struck her, and she pushed him back enough to look at his face and found something she hadn't been sure she'd see again. There, in his charcoal eyes was recognition, a sense of familiarity he hadn't possessed before their tumble in the grass.

"Thank you Ultear...for bringing me back."

Her eyes filled with tears as she brushed a hand through his mop of pink hair and nodded. There were no words inside her at the moment, no words she felt needed to be said, so she kept quiet and let him say what he wanted to say.

"I was so lost," he muttered weakly, closing a calloused hand over hers. "I couldn't remember who I was, where I came from. There was just the anger...and the pain..."

He winced, and Ultear felt a tear slide down her cheek. She could see he had been through something horrific, and she had to know. "Where were you all this time?"

Her whispered question sent a shudder through his body, but he didn't ignore it. She almost wished he had, because his answer did nothing but make her heart ache for him.

"Hell...I was in Hell."

A faint sob slipped from his lips, and she pulled him down, using her body to offer the only comfort she had. "I've been alone for so long...and my mind couldn't take it."

His broken words tore at her, and she found herself crying right along with him. She couldn't tell him it was okay, but after living through what he had, nothing would ever be the same. She couldn't make it better for him, and she wouldn't lie. She could only be there for him until he found his feet.

Natsu lifted his head, his gaze heavy as he looked down at her. "You saved me. You gave me back my life." He shook his head in disbelief.

"So did you," she whispered, pulling him down for a soft kiss. "So did you..."

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**_A/N: Holy shit, did I really just write that? lol It was shocking to me how well this flowed. I just knew I would struggle with it, but it literally just came pouring out. YAY!_**


	7. Outta This World

_Okay, the next request on my list is one for **rainbowbrite-1**. I'll admit this one gave me some trouble, but I hope you still enjoy it. :D_

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**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**OUTTA THIS WORLD**

Loke was drunk. Maybe not falling on his ass drunk, but he was definitely on his way. Cana had made sure of that, and now he was feeling fine.

He loved visiting his old guild mates. They were always good for a laugh with their foolish antics and their wild parties. And with his body tingling with sensation, the night was damn near perfect.

To his mind, the only thing that could make it any better would be a woman. A nice willing woman could brighten any day - and Mavis knew he'd had many of them – but he couldn't pull that kind of game here. These were his friends, and his playboy ways weren't exactly something he shared with the women in this guild.

It was a damn shame though. The Fairy Tail girls were a damn looking group, and he hadn't touched even one of them. It was a pity, but it was unavoidable. He refused to ostracize the people who were like his family over having a one-night stand with one of their own.

Still, there was one he would have loved a chance at and not just for the night. He'd watched her from a distance, never getting too close because Natsu was always there. It was almost common knowledge that the two of them would eventually get together, so Loke hadn't pressed for more. But he'd wanted to.

He still did, and now that Natsu was happily tied to Lucy, maybe he had a chance. Of course, there was still the problem of Lisanna's siblings. Both were extremely protective of her, and his history of being a player wasn't exactly a secret. There was a good chance they would have a damn fit if he made a move on the younger Strauss sister.

He sighed. He wasn't nearly drunk enough for that yet.

He moved back to the bar and down several more shots, trying his best to avoid the curious gaze of the guild matchmaker. He could see she was itching to know what had him pouring liquor down his throat, but there wasn't a chance in hell he'd be divulging this particular secret.

He grabbed for his fourth and final shot and lifted it to his mouth, before tossing a nervous smile Mirajane's way and walking away. Very soon, he could be in her sights, and that would most certainly not be a fun thing. The woman was a damn frightening terror when she was pissed, and everyone knew the way to get her riled up was to mess with her little sister.

Yeah, he was doomed, because he'd decided enough was enough. He was going for it.

Adjusting the glasses on his face, he squared his shoulders and affecting a calm facade. His steps were sure as he made his way to the white-haired cutie across the room, his stride confident even if he felt anything but. To everyone else, he would appear as he always did – cocky and completely certain of himself – and that's how he wanted it.

He couldn't have anyone seeing how anxious he was, how invested he was in this one moment, because if it all went to hell, he wouldn't be able to laugh it off, call it all a big joke. That was his backup in case she turned him down – smile like it didn't matter and lie like hell.

With a final deep breath, he stepped up to her and felt a warmth in his chest when she turned and smiled up at him. "Hey Loke."

The words froze in his throat, and before he could think any further on the action, he reached for her. Her eyes went wide as he pulled her close and dipped her down, his lips sealing over hers a moment later.

She was still beneath him for a long second, and he nearly gave up hope, but then she was holding tightly to his shirt and pressing her mouth more firmly against his own.

Everything faded into the background, every sound in the rowdy guild growing distant as he held her in his arms. She was sweet, like taking a bite out of a perfectly ripe peach. It was a kiss like he'd never known, maybe because he'd never cared so much, and as he plied her lips with his own, he wished it could last forever.

But all too soon, she was drawing back, her pretty blue eyes blinking dazedly up at him. It was the cutest thing he'd ever seen, and he couldn't resist the grin that spread across his face.

"Wow..."

Her whisper had his heart swelling with pride, beating with a happiness he hadn't known in a long time. "I'd have to agree."

A light blush dusted her cheeks as he pulled her upright and set her on her feet. He couldn't resist brushing a thumb over that sweet flush, and that seemed to further embarrass her. It was something he'd always found completely adorable about her, and this was no exception.

"You are too cute," he mused, ignoring the hoots and cheers around them in favor of focusing on the girl that had caught his attention so long ago.

Lisanna shook her head and lifted a hand to her cheek self-consciously. "Thanks," she hummed with a small smile.

She looked up, her eyes bright with affection, and Loke wondered for a moment if he was seeing things. But then her gaze dipped down to his mouth, and he knew it was real. His own mouth curved with happiness, and he was just about to reach for her again when he heard something that chilled the blood in his veins.

"Loke!"

With a glance behind him, he found Mirajane storming over, her face oozing disapproval. He cringed, then turned back to Lisanna. "I gotta go love," he said with a flirty grin, and he lifted her hand up and kissed it. "I'll be back after your sister cools down."

A wink later and he was gone, poofing his way back into the Spirit World and leaving an insanely moody Demon woman behind. He figured a week would be enough time. Then again, it was never a good idea to underestimate her. Maybe two weeks...


	8. The End Of His Rope

_This is one of those stories that didn't like me much. I swear, it fought me the entire way. This may not be what you wanted, **Gray to Black**, and if it's not, I sincerely apologize. _

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**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**THE END OF HIS ROPE**

It was hot, far too hot in Gray's opinion to be out working a job. It wasn't exactly that the temperature bothered him. He just hated this type of weather. Being an ice mage, it kind of came with the territory, and the heat could drive his clothes from his body faster than anything else. It was simply a reflex.

But nothing could deter Erza when she got her mind set on something, and now here they were, trudging their way back home after a long mission. The insane woman was still wearing her armor, not a drop of sweat to be seen. It was strange to be sure, but that was their team, he supposed.

They were all a little off to be honest, and Lucy was no different. She was a mess of inconsistencies. The way she dressed insinuated things – and he would never say it to her face – but it often gave men the wrong idea about the kind of girl she was. She was actually pretty innocent when it came to dating and stuff, and she was usually the sweetest girl you could ever meet. That was until you pissed her off, then she was nothing shy of a raging woman on the warpath.

Thankfully that didn't happen all that often. He wasn't sure he could handle two Erzas on his team all the time. Lucy was actually probably the most normal of them all, but sometimes, she was far too oblivious.

Like with Natsu. It was perfectly clear to everyone around them that the guy liked her, but Lucy hadn't noticed a thing. She was still happily going about her business as if nothing had changed.

And it wasn't as if he was secretive about it. Like now, as they walked through town, the pink-haired man was snapping and snarling at any man that dared to eye the pretty blonde. There'd even been a time or two when he'd almost gotten physical with the guys, but Lucy had always thought it had to do with some imagined insult and had dragged the dragon slayer away before he could cause any trouble.

But he could tell Natsu was getting impatient with her. His obnoxious attitude had hit a new high on this last mission, and he could clearly remember what had started it all.

They'd had to pose as ordinary people just hanging out in a small bar that had been plagued with visits from a band of troublemakers. So they'd split up, he and Erza moving off to occupy a booth near the back of the building and Natsu and Lucy setting up at the bar.

Just after 8, people started pouring into the tiny business, and it had taken no time at all for men to notice the petite blonde. One guy after another approached her, but Natsu had been quick to run them off - a fierce scowl here, a well-placed balling of the fist there.

But there was always more, especially after they'd started drinking. Suddenly, their confidence was high, their brawn far outweighing their brains, and they had become certain they could take Natsu. And that had been the beginning of their end.

But while Natsu had been dealing with a set of well-muscled twins on one side, another man had crept up to Lucy, taking advantage of the pink-haired man's distraction. Of course, Lucy, being the sweet girl she was, struck up a conversation with the man, not knowing that her actions would bring a wealth of hurt on the unfortunate jerk.

Still, he supposed it wasn't all her fault. Natsu probably should have just come right out and said something. Considering how long this had gone on, it was wonder to everyone that he hadn't done just that. It would have saved them all a lot of trouble.

But Natsu hadn't told her anything, and consequently had completely lost his mind when that guy had attempted to kiss Lucy's hand. He'd stepped in immediately and all but ripped the guy's arm out of socket trying to move him away from their blonde team mate. And the whole time, Lucy had been puzzled at Natsu's reaction. The poor girl hadn't had a clue what had stirred her partner up so badly.

It was quite literally the most asinine thing Gray had ever seen. How could such a smart girl like Lucy be so damn stupid when it came to this?

Looking over at Erza, he found her rolling her eyes, her expression showing she was just as dumbfounded as he was, and then they were moving to salvage their job as much as they could.

Some day soon, Natsu was going to have to make a solid move, and when he did, Gray would be the first in line to say, "About damn time!"


	9. The Lady Lyla

_'Keep it classy. Never trashy. Just a little nasty.'_

_Have I crossed the line here? Maybe. Do I care overly much? Nah. lol _

_This is for you **hiya168**. Hope you like it :D_

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**THE LADY LYLA**

_'Spread your legs, baby. Let me get a look at that pretty pussy...'_

"Holy shit, that woman writes some hot ass sex scenes."

Bickslow tossed his copy of The Indecent Times aside and dropped a hand to his pants, adjusting the fabric until he was comfortable again. He shook his head ruefully at the position he'd put himself in and had to laugh. "So fucking pathetic. Like a damn kid."

Though many men liked to pretend they only looked at this magazine for the articles, he really did. As far as he was concerned, he could see a nice set of tits any time he wanted, but writing like this, you couldn't find just anywhere.

About a year ago, he'd caught a glimpse of one of this woman's short stories in a magazine Laxus had, and he'd been hooked ever since. He'd signed up for his own subscription that very day, and he hadn't regretted it even once. The author was a dirty little genius that had succeeded in bringing him to his libidinous knees more times than he could count.

The woman seemed to have a knack for writing the lewdest scenes, and his mind had been happy to supply enough imagination to create the entire thing in his head. To say the least, it was hot as hell. And it made him all the more curious about who she was.

Something told him she'd be hot, probably kinky as all hell, and Mavis knew he'd like to try her on for size. He was pretty damn sure he'd be perfect for her...if he could just find out who the hell she was.

Standing to his feet, he smirked. Maybe a trip to the magazine publisher's office was in order. He supposed though that it would be foolish to think they'd tell him anything. After all, the woman was careful to conceal her real name. There was no way in hell she was actually called Lady Lyla. So that meant he'd have to be sneaky.

He made the 10 minute trip into town and was just coming around the corner when he saw a sight that yanked his stunned body to a halt. There, coming out of the publishing building of The Indecent Times was Lucy Heartfilia, and for a moment, he found himself snickering at the thought of her reading such a magazine.

But then a voice called out from inside, "See you next week Lady!"

He watched in stunned silence as Lucy turned back with a roll of her eyes and waved. "Bye Amber."

Bickslow had no idea how long he stood there. He just couldn't believe it. Lucy wasn't there to get a dirty magazine. She worked for them. Lucy – sweet little Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail - the girl who'd kicked his ass way back when all while dressed like a cheerleader - was the perviest writer he'd ever read. She was Lady Lyla.

It blew his mind that it had been Lucy's words that had gotten him off, her imaginings that set his blood to boiling. It wasn't some nameless, faceless woman anymore. It was someone he already knew, but damn if his view of her wasn't changing. Already he could feel heat flooding his body at the thought of them together. He could imagine stripping her down and discovering just how naughty she really was beneath all the feigned innocence.

And goddamn if he wasn't getting hard at just the thought. Taking a steadying breath, he turned and made his way to his favorite store. If he was doing this, he was going to show her he could be her match both in bed and out.

30 minutes later, he pushing through the doors to Fairy Tail, the items he'd chosen safely tucked away in his pockets for later. He scanned the room and had all but given up finding the perky blonde when he caught sight of her sitting at the bar. She was perched there, acting as if nothing were out of the ordinary talking to Mira.

He shook his head in amusement as he looked around at all the guys in the guild. If they only knew... But of course, he wouldn't be spilling these particular beans. Oh hell no...she was all his, and he intended to make it happen today.

He stalked towards her, his lecherous grin thankfully covered by his helmet, and waited until Mira turned away to take another order before he slipped up behind the sexy blonde. "Touch me, Grant. Fuck me hard and fast. Make me scream because it feels so good..."

His whispered quote had her jerking around and staring dumbfounded at him. "E-Excuse me?"

"Oh you don't recognize that one? How about, 'I'm gonna give you my cock, give it to you over and over again...all night long. I'm gonna bury myself so deep in your pussy that you'll swear I've become a part of you'."

Bickslow grinned as the color drained from her face.

She gave a frantic look around before sliding off her stool and motioning for him to follow her to the back of the guild. He moved behind her, thoroughly enjoying the sight her backside swaying just in front of him. Such a fine ass, and damn he wanted it bare and her bent over a table as he fucked her long and hard.

Damn he was horny, and repeating all her enticing words back to her was stirring him up even more. He could imagine saying all these things to her, could envision her curvy body spread out before him like a goddamn feast, and he wanted it. He wanted to taste every inch of this sexy woman, wanted to lick and suck and bite and fuck.

And holy shit, he had to quit or he wouldn't be able to walk.

She reached for his hand then, and dragged him through the backdoor before turning to him, her hands on her hips. "Look, I don't know what it is you think you know, but-"

Bickslow cut her off, giving her a light shove against the wall and pressing his body close while jerking the helmet from his head. "You pretend to be so sweet and innocent," he muttered as he crowded her, letting her feel his arousal. "And I bet you are sweet. I bet that spot between your legs will be the best damn thing I've ever tasted, but we both know you aren't innocent."

Her breathing hitched at his words, and she squirmed. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Her voice was soft, distinctly lacking in conviction, and it had Bickslow grinding his cock against her. "Oh I bet you do. I know who you are, Lady Lyla. You've been getting me all hot and bothered for over a year, and I think it's high time I repayed the favor."

Lucy whimpered, her tone just shy of acquiescence, but he didn't stop. "I can give you everything you want, Lucy. I can make all your naughty little dreams come true. Just give me a chance, and I'll fuck you any way you want." Bickslow gripped her hands and drew them up, pressing them against the wall. "I'll cuff you to your bed, spread those pretty thighs wide and give you everything I've got."

The blonde drew in a shaky breath. "What makes you think you can give me what I want?"

"Oh I know I can," the Seith mage declared in a sure voice. "See I know you. I've read all those hidden desires you've tried so hard to hide. You don't want vanilla sex. You could get that anywhere if that's what you were after. But you need a man who knows what you want, a man who can give you all the kink you could ever want. And baby...that's me."

Lucy stared up at him, her breathing harsh in the sudden quiet, and Bickslow knew if he pressed his lips to the pulse in her throat, it would be racing. She was tempted. It didn't take a genius to see that, or the fact that it wouldn't take much to tip the scales in his favor.

Dipping down, he nuzzled her neck, keeping his body tight against hers as his mouth closed around her ear. He gave it a quick tug, then set his teeth to the sensitive flesh. "Come on Lucy. Let me give you everything you want," he hummed.

A shiver skated up her body, and Bickslow grinned. She was going to say yes.

And she did. He watched as a fire lit her eyes, and then her gaze dropped to his mouth. It was all the sign he needed to crash his lips down on hers, and she met him with a soft cry and a desperation that pushed his own need straight through the roof.

He groaned as her body arched into his, those soft tits of hers pressing so deliciously to his chest. Damn, he wasn't going to be able to go through with his plan if he didn't get them somewhere private soon. He drew back to suggest they move, but Lucy beat him to the punch. "My place or yours?"

"Yours." Bickslow stepped back, his lips curving into a wicked grin. "I don't know if you'd be able to handle mine just yet."

Lucy's brow arched a bit, and then he caught his first glimpse of the woman who wrote those stories. Gone was the sweet and uncertain girl he thought he'd been dealing with, and in her place was a woman who knew just what she wanted. "We'll see who can handle what soon enough."

Giving him a once-over, she turned and began to walk away, leaving Bickslow to gape after her. She stopped several feet away and peeked over her shoulder. "You coming? I believe you have some boasting to back up."

With that, she sashayed away again, and Bickslow couldn't contain the fierce grin that spread across his face. Like she had to ask. He'd follow her sexy ass anywhere she wanted to go.

* * *

_**A/N: Oh, I love me some Bixy...**_


	10. Notice Me Senpai

_I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Especially as I saw a pic of Totomaru after the time skip. _

_Can we say total hotness? Don't believe me? Go look it up for yourselves!_

_For **Baclya**- hope this was all your heart desired!_

* * *

**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

* * *

**NOTICE ME SENPAI**

It had only been about a week since the events on Tenrou Island - well seven years plus a week, Lucy supposed – and everyone was settling back in at Fairy Tail. Some seemed to have no trouble getting back into the swing of things like Natsu, but Lucy had struggled.

A good portion of it came from knowing her father had died while she was away, but there was also a sense of disconnection. So many of their old friends had aged, moved on with their lives, and yet she was still the same girl she'd been when she'd left. She wondered what else had changed, and if she'd continue to find it difficult to adapt.

She sighed and was abruptly drawn from her musing by the voice of a young man. It was startling still to turn and find that it was Romeo, that the slightly deeper tone had come from a boy who, three weeks ago for her, had been a small child.

"But Dad, I don't want to miss a lesson!"

"Romeo, I can't do it today. I just don't have time," Macao answered. "You can go again later this week."

Lucy watched Romeo's face fall and with a huff of impatience, he turned to walk away. "How am I ever supposed to learn if I keep missing classes?"

The blonde frowed at his dejected face. She hated to see him so upset, but she'd heard from Erza that Macao was heading out on another job today, something about an unexpected bill or whatnot. Lucy could understand why Romeo's father was denying him, but it still bothered her.

"I wonder..." she hummed, then stood to her feet with a grin. "Macao!"

He looked back, his expression open with curiosity, and she hurried over to him. "Macao, I heard your conversation with Romeo, and I know you can't take him to his classes. But he looks so bummed about it...I was wondering if I could maybe take him."

She waited as his brow wrinkled and then he smiled. "That would be great Lucy. He'll like that."

Lucy beamed and was about to race after Romeo when Macao added, "Besides, showing up with a girl with such big ti-"

His words cut off with a yelp as she drove her foot up into his face. "Lucy Kick! Don't be such a perv!"

She nodded in satisfaction as his body slumped to the floor and called out to Romeo. He glanced over at her with a bored look, and Lucy couldn't help but giggle. In that moment, he was like a miniature Natsu, pouting because he couldn't join a fight.

"Romeo, guess what? You're going to your class today!"

His forehead wrinkled. "Huh? My dad said he couldn't take me."

"That's right – I'm taking you today," Lucy chirped, then laughed as Romeo hopped to his feet with an excited "Really?"

She nodded and an instant later, Romeo had her hand and was dragging her right out the door. Once again, it was oddly reminiscent of her partner, barely giving her time to plant her feet on the ground before tugging her into the next step.

A short five minutes later, they came to a stop in front of a small building. By that time, Lucy was panting. She couldn't believe he had made her run the whole way. Sure, she probably needed the exercise after seven years of sleeping, but now she was all sweaty and about to meet Romeo's teacher. What a horrible first impression to make.

But the antsy boy didn't give her time to fuss at him. They'd barely halted before he was dragging her again right through the double doors and inside, forgetting to mention the small dip in the floor at the entrance to his classroom.

To her immense embarrassment, her foot caught on that little ledge, and down she went. A squeak shot from her mouth as she threw her arms out in front of her, but an instant from her knees making impact with the floor, someone reached out and grabbed for her.

"Here you go," a deep voice said as the strong hands steadied her back on her feet.

Lucy looked up and nearly groaned in humiliation. The man was gorgeous. Of course he was. She'd just made the biggest fool of herself, so of course the man seeing it had to be sexy as hell.

He was tall with broad shoulders, and - she couldn't believe she was thinking it - he had some of the most unusual hair she'd ever seen. It was quite literally half white, half black and pulled up into a pony tail at the back of his head. Between that and the black stripe that stretched across his face, he should have been strange looking, but in spite of all that – or maybe because of it – he was hot.

She barely stopped herself from licking her lips as she noticed the slight bit of stubble that ran along his jawline and chin. Holy Mavis, he was a sight to see.

"Oh goodness," she mumbled, using her hands to smooth her clothes and hair, trying to make herself look more presentable. "I'm so sorry. Thank you."

She knew her face had to be a hideous shade of red, but there was nothing she could do about it. She was thoroughly embarrassed by her clumsy entrance, and seeing this handsome man, this very fit and toned man was only making it worse.

She wondered if he was a parent of one of Romeo's classmates. The thought had her almost facepalming herself. What did it matter? She'd taken a dive right in front of the man. Wasn't like he was going to be throwing himself at her after that.

"Romeo," the man said, turning to face the young boy with a frown. "You shouldn't have come running in here like that. I've told you that plenty of times. You nearly hurt your...friend."

Lucy watched as Romeo bowed his head. "I'm sorry sensei. I won't do it again." He then glanced up at her sheepishly. "Sorry Lucy. I didn't mean to make you fall."

The boy looked so ashamed that the blonde couldn't hold onto her annoyance. She reached out, touseling his hair a bit, and assured him. "It's okay Romeo, but let's try walking next time okay?"

A wide smile lit his face, and he spun around to race off towards his friends when the man, his teacher it appeared called out, "Romeo...walk."

Ducking his head, he nodded, shuffling quickly away from the two grown ups.

Lucy watched him go and had to laugh. "Well, that didn't last long."

"It usually doesn't. I'm fairly certain they'd forget to breath if their bodies didn't do it automatically," the man chuckled, then reached his hand out in greeting. "I'm Totomaru, by the way."

"Oh, I'm Lucy," she answered, taking his hand and internally cheering herself for not swooning. "But I guess you already knew that."

A quick laugh left his mouth, and he nodded. "I do. It's nice to meet you. Are you staying to watch?"

"Yeah, if that's okay."

"We'd love to have you. You can have a seat over there," he said with a smile as he pointed out several benches in easy view of the room.

Lucy grinned back at the intriguing man before making her way over to her seat, and within minutes the class was starting. She watched as Totomaru got their attention and then he was pointing at her. "Class please welcome Romeo's friend Lucy."

Lucy flushed as the handsome man smiled over at her and offered a small wave to the boys in Romeo's class. Would that count as flirting, she wondered? Could he be interested in me?

The blonde shook her head, discarding the moronic notion before it went any further. He was simply being nice. Anyone would have done the same.

But not just anyone looks like that...her mind taunted.

Brushing it aside, Lucy sat back and watched as the class got down to business. Totomaru took them through the basic stances, a refresher from what she could see, and then he let them try each form out. All too soon, he was calling an end to the class, and the boys began to scatter.

She'd like to say that she had spent the entire time seeing what Romeo was learning, but truthfully, she hadn't been able to take her eyes off his teacher. The man enticed her, and she couldn't quite figure out why. Maybe it was because he'd been so kind to her when she'd fallen. Or maybe it was how good-looking he was.

She had no idea. All she knew is that she fully intended to offer to bring Romeo to class more often, because she definitely wanted to see Totomaru again. Maybe she could sign up for his class too.

The thought sent a giggle up her throat, and she bit her lip to hold it in. How ridiculous.

Suddenlly, Romeo was there, his face lit with excitement. "Hey Lucy! Did you see how great I'm doing?"

"Yes, I did," she laughed, inwardly cringing at the lie she'd just told. She would make it up to him, she promised herself, the next time she came with him. "You're doing great!"

"Woo! Oh, hang on. I'll be right back. Gotta tell Haru something," he shouted, then ran off again.

Lucy yelled after him, "Romeo! Slow down!"

His steps slowed marginally, and she shook her head. "Boys..."

Totomaru stepped up beside her, his face turned toward Romeo and his friend, and he laughed. "Yeah, they're just a little bit wild, huh?"

Lucy laughed and agreed. "Just a little."

"Lucy..." he mused, and she turned to look at him. "Do you intend to come back and visit us again?"

The blonde blinked up at him in surprised, and before she could school her words, they slipped out. "Did you want me to?"

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. Had she actually just asked him that?

But he just grinned at her. "Yes...I think I do."

* * *

**_A/N: I just had to do that for the title. My daughters say it all the time. lol_**


	11. Two Is Better Than One

_ What can I say about this one? Hmm...it's all smut. lol __For **Fawx999 **- hope this gets your pervy heart pumping! _

* * *

**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

* * *

**TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE**

"Any chance we could get in a quickie?"

Lucy looked over at Gajeel in surprise. "You can't be serious. We're in the middle of nowhere, not to mention we're supposed to be doing a job."

"Then you shouldn't have worn such a short ass skirt," he rumbled, moving up in front of her and sliding his arms around her waist. "All I can think about is ripping the damn thing off."

Lucy's heart hammered in her chest. She could see that Gajeel had already made up his mind, and she had no trouble feeling that his body was in complete agreement. She bit her lip and tried to tamp down the eagerness that urged her to give herself over to this moment. They were supposed to be working, not stripping down naked to boink like horny teenagers.

But the words to deny him simply wouldn't come. Her body had already warmed to the idea, and she knew it would take no time for him to notice it.

Sure enough, his lips quirked, that familiar smirk sliding across his face as he leaned in and took her lips in a staggering kiss. The heat between them flared immediately, just as it always did, and then she felt hands sliding up the back of her legs and over the curve of her ass.

"I see we've gotten distracted from our job," Laxus mused from behind her. "I was only gone for five minutes, and you guys start without me."

He gave the globes of her ass a quick squeeze before moving up to the top of her skirt. "I want these clothes gone," Laxus growled from behind her and she whimpered as he ripped her panties and skirt down her legs.

He pressed his hips tight against hers and reached around to slip a hand between her legs as Gajeel began tugging her shirt up and over her head. The two worked in tandem perfectly, ridding her of the last vestiges of her clothing while simultaneously readying her body for them.

Gajeel wasted no time closing his mouth back over hers and lifting rough hands to cup her breasts, and she moaned into his mouth as Laxus continued to play between her legs. The blonde was in heaven, her body thoroughly engulfed in the attentive hands of her lovers, and she knew it would only get better.

Moments later, Gajeel was drawing back, and Laxus pushed gently on her back. "Bend over for me, baby."

Her pulse jumped in her throat as she did as he instructed. She loved it when he took her from behind, loved the way his fingers dug into the flesh of her hips as he pumped furiously inside her.

A soft groan spilled from her lips as Laxus nudged her entrance, and she reached for Gajeel, drawing him forward. She wanted him in her mouth when the thick shaft behind her breached her body. Gajeel came to her willingly, the hand caressing his cock lifting it, pressing it to her mouth.

Her lips parted and the smooth head slid inside just as Laxus plunged forward. She sank down on Gajeel's staff, hollowing her cheeks as she took him all the way down. His hands sifted into her hair, drawing her up and down in a perfect rhythm with the slow deliberate thrusts her other lover was providing.

She had never known sex could be like this before Laxus and Gajeel, had never imagined she could be so happy with two men. Honestly, she hadn't quite believed the two of them could get along well enough for it all to work, and yet here they were going on six months. Somehow, they'd worked it out. They'd found a balance that worked for them, and since then, Gajeel and Laxus had driven her wild with their ability to overwhelm her body just like they were doing now.

They didn't fight over her at all any more. They'd come to an understanding and now didn't seem to mind sharing her at all. And bonus, they made sure she came enough for two damn women.

It didn't take long for Laxus to lose patience with the easy pace. Of the two of them, he was the one who preferred it hard all the time, but Lucy didn't mind. She loved everything they did, and as he slammed into her body, she cried out her pleasure around Gajeel's cock.

"Ah fuck!" he grunted, his fingers tightening in her hair.

Lucy's knees wobbled as Laxus rocked into her, his body smacking into hers loudly, pushing her steadily down on Gajeel. She could feel heat building in her center, her walls flexing with her impending orgasm, and between one rough thrust and another, Lucy exploded.

Gajeel slipped from her mouth, allowing a shriek of pleasure to shoot from her throat as Laxus latched onto her hips and plowed into her. He drew out the devastating climax, pushing it to the edge until he roared out his own release and spilled himself inside her.

Her body shook as they leaned her back, Gajeel pushing her into Laxus' arms. "Hold her for me."

Laxus did as he'd said, wrapping strong arms beneath her breasts while Gajeel reached down for her limp legs. He lifted them, spread them around his narrow hips and pressed himself between her legs.

Lucy moaned as Gajeel sank into her still quivering depths. She tightened around him, forcing a curse from his lips. "Shit..."

His eyes flashed with heat, and then he was driving up into her with barely restrained vigor, his body snapping against hers loudly enough to echo through the woods. But the noise was lost in the sound of her Lucy's panting, the soft mewls that slipped from her lips.

Already she could feel that warmth spreading through her belly, that pull so deep inside her, and she knew she was primed for another orgasm. It never took them long to bring her, and they took great pride in that.

Even now, with Gajeel's own control so fragile, he smirked. He knew she was close, knew she was only a few strokes away from falling apart all around him, and he wanted it. He liked to watch her face as she came, and more times than not, he followed right after.

This time was no different as he called to her. "Come for me Lucy."

And she did, her body bowing up as the first jolts of sensation raced up her spine. She came hard, her walls clenching and pulling at his cock, and as he watched her expression turn with ecstasy, he arched into her again.

Seeing her fly apart did what it always did – drove him right to the edge, and he growled.

He fucked her hard and fast, fighting for his own release as Laxus held her so tight. And when it hit him, he slammed into her a final time, his fingers gripping her hard enough to bruise, and he came.

Lucy shuddered as Gajeel eased from her body. Her legs felt like jello, her whole body actually, but she felt a smile tug at her lips. She'd never get over having the two of them. She was lucky and she knew it. She had two of the most gorgeous men in all of Earthland, but they were more than that to her. They were her guys, and she loved them.

Maybe people didn't understand it, maybe they thought she was a slut. She didn't care. The important people didn't mind her odd arrangement with Gajeel and Laxus, and that was all that mattered.

"You think you can stand up now?" Laxus asked, his voice edging into amusement.

Lucy nodded, attempting to put her feet flat on the ground and stand up, but the moment she put any weight on them, they buckled. "Well, damn."

Gajeel chuckled. "Let me get dressed, and I'll take her."

Lucy watched as all that delicious flesh was covered and couldn't resist pouting. "I wish you guys could just walk around naked all the time."

Laxus burst out laughing at her comment and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "If we did that, we'd never leave the house."

The blonde woman smiled impishly up at him. "Was that supposed to convince me it was a bad idea?"

"Okay, that might not have been the best reason," he admitted with a grin.

"Nope."

Once more, the two men laughed, then Gajeel reached for her. "Come here, you little horn dog. Laxus needs to pull up his pants, and we've got work to do.

"Well, if you insist..."


	12. Mira's Mistake

_This is so bizarre...there are just no words..._

_For my pal **mromero18**, who adores LaLu! Loves!_

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_**Hiro** **Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

* * *

**MIRA'S MISTAKE**

"Here's your food, Gajeel."

The Iron Slayer looked up to see Mira depositing a plate in front of him. He hadn't even noticed her before she'd spoken, and that was completely unacceptable for him. "Thanks," he grunted, then looked over his shoulder to glare in the direction of what was distracting him. "Couldn't even hear you walk up with all that racket coming from back there," he grumbled in irritation. "Like anybody wants to hear that shit here."

Mira came him a curious look, then asked, "Hear what?"

"Bunny Girl and Laxus...and I'm not saying what they're doing back there. You can go find out for yourself." He scowled again, then turned to his food, effectively dismissing the barmaid.

The white-haired woman didn't take offense at his gruff tone or the fact that he was quite literally ignoring her now. She knew how he was, and she now had far more interesting things on her mind. It was obvious that Gajeel was hinting that something was going on between Lucy and Laxus, and her matchmaker wheels were turning.

Spinning around, she headed in the direction Gajeel had indicated, slowing down as she reached the hall to hear better, and sure enough as she neared the end of the hall, she caught the sound of them. Her eyes widened as she listened, her hand flying up to stifle the gasp she felt climbing her throat. Were they really doing that here, in the guild?

"Ugh...Lucy. Stop fidgeting all over the place. Dammit...here, hold this for a minute," Laxus grunted.

There was silence for a moment, and Mira leaned her head against the door, anxiously awaiting the other woman's response. She knew she should feel bad about listening in on them, but she couldn't help herself. She had to know what they were doing.

"Wow, it's so sleek looking," Lucy marveled. "I knew it would be hard, but I hadn't expected it to look like this."

Laxus hummed at her assessment, "You've never seen one before?"

"No, never had the chance." Her voice was tinged with amazement as she continued, "It's so much bigger than I thought it would be."

"Hey, don't pull on it like that!" Laxus sputtered suddenly. "Just a little...yeah, just like that."

Mira had to bite back a squeal of excitement at the couple in the room. She'd been trying to get Lucy together with someone for a while now, but she'd never considered Laxus for her before. She hadn't even been aware they'd had an interaction, but obviously, they hadn't needed her help to get together.

Lucy spoke softly into the quiet, "Sorry Laxus. I didn't realize I was being too rough with it."

"It's alright," he sighed, then snickered, "You're such a newbie to all this stuff."

"Hey, I can't help that!" Lucy argued, her voice turning distinctively pouty. "You're so mean to me."

Sounding slightly less smug, Laxus assured her, "I'm just kidding. Now, come here, and we'll try this out."

"Okay, but only if you stop picking on me."

Laxus gave a deep laugh, then instructed, "Okay, be still for a minute, and let me put it-"

Lucy interrupted him, "But it looks like it's too big. What if it doesn't fit?"

"It'll fit," he assured. "See? It slides right in there."

"Oh..." Lucy hummed softly. "You're right."

Mira's eyes widened as wood creaked behind the door and Lucy squeaked, "Um..Laxus, I'm not sure this table will hold both of us like this."

"It'll be fine," Laxus muttered amidst another loud groan from the table. "But look, you're gonna have to be quiet. No one's supposed to know we're back here doing this."

"Okay...okay," Lucy agreed, then she asked, "So, what am I supposed to do now?"

The barmaid pressed her hand to her mouth. How she longed to squeal at the cuteness of Laxus coaching Lucy through her first time. She'd have never expected him to be so patient with a girl, but she supposed that's what happened when a man was in love.

"Here, I'll show you." The table shifted again as Laxus began to speak, "Just relax. You'll do it wrong if you're all tense. Good, now you're just gonna come up and then...no slow down. You don't want to go too fast until you get the hang of it. Yeah, there you go. That's better, now slide down."

"Oh, I did it!" Lucy cheered.

Mira nearly burst out laughing at the Celestial mage's excitement. This had to be the oddest coupling she'd ever heard before, not that she'd spied on all that many to be honest. But who on earth has such bizarre conversations while having sex?

Granted, Lucy was new to this, but still, it was strange.

"What...don't tell me you're already quitting. You only did it once!" Laxus challenged, his tone becoming exasperated.

"I thought you could do it now. I don't want to mess up."

Laxus groaned and the table squawked. "Oh for the love of...I should make you keep trying. You're never going to learn if you don't keep at it."

"Oh, come on Laxus. It's not that big a deal. It's just for fun, right?" Lucy paused as if waiting for his response, then added, "Okay, well I think it would be fun for you to do it now."

Mira frowned at the way Lucy had phrased that. Surely, Laxus hadn't propositioned her for just sex. It was the girl's first time. It should mean something. A girl's virginity was supposed to be given to a man in love. Oh, she was going to have a talk with him if all he was after was a piece of ass.

"Laxus!" Lucy whined, her voice high with impatience. "Stop being so difficult. Just do it already."

Laxus chuckled at her frustration. "Well, aren't you a demanding little thing. Alright then, since you're going to be lazy, I'll show you how it's done."

A moment went by in silence but for the creaking of the table, and then Lucy gasped, "Oh! How did you-"

"I told you...I'm really good."

Mira rolled her eyes at the man's arrogance. It shouldn't have surprised her to hear him tout his skills like that. Laxus wasn't exactly the most humble of beings in the world, but even she couldn't have guessed he'd still feel it necessary to praise himself during sex.

"Oh my God!" Lucy yelped. "Not so fast! You're gonna-"

Once again, Laxus cut her off. "Shhh...I know what I'm doing!"

The blonde apologized, but it wasn't thirty seconds later, she was shouting out in time with the sounds of the table shifting. "Oh! You're so close! Wait...wait!"

"Lucy! My God...are you trying to get us caught?" Laxus snapped.

"Sorry," she squeaked quietly, then yelled, "Right there! Yes! You're gonna wi-"

Her voice was abruptly muffled, and Mira leaned in, pressing tighter to the door just in time to hear Laxus growl. "Son of a bitch! Stop being so loud before Mira hears us! If she finds us back here, she'll kill us!"

Lucy's response was garbled, but Mira could faintly hear her say, "Sorry, I didn't know I'd get so into it."

"Me either," Laxus chuckled, then quieted as the table groaned loudly. "Damn, that doesn't sound good."

The words were scarcely out of his mouth, and there was a crash followed by two pained moans. Mira gasped, and before she could consider her actions, she had the door open. "Oh my God, are you guys..."

Her words trailed off as she stumbled to a stop just beside the pair of blondes on the floor. Both were fully clothed, not one hair out of place, and they were looking up at her with twin expressions of sheepishness. They were slumped together just in front of the TV, and Laxus was holding a black controller in his hand.

And there, on the floor in front of the tv sat a brand new gaming console, the one Mira had just bought for Master for his upcoming birthday.

"You were just playing a game?!"

She couldn't believe this. Here, she'd been hoping another couple had formed in the guild, and they were just sneaking around to play with Master's gift before she'd given it to him.

"Oh come on!" Mira whined, depressed about her hopes being dashed so suddenly. "I thought you two were..." Realizing what she was about to admit to, she snapped her mouth shut.

But Laxus' eyes narrowed as he helped Lucy into a sitting position. "What did you think we were doing in here, Mira? What exactly did you think you were spying on?"

"Spying? Who was spying?" Mira laughed nervously as she scooted back toward the door.

"You can't possibly believe we'll buy that you were just walking by," Laxus mused, his face becoming more and more amused.

"Of course that's what I was doing."

Laxus stood to his feet and reached out a hand to his cohort. "Sure it was." His lips lifted into his usual smirk as Lucy looked up at him. "What? What did she think we were doing?"

"Think about it, Lucy. Think about everything we said."

Lucy's brow furrowed as she thought back on their entire conversation, and then her face flared a brilliant red. "You thought we were having..."

A deep chuckle brought the blonde's attention back up to his face as Laxus finished, "She thought we were back here having sex."

"Oh my God..." Lucy groaned, "I can't believe you thought we were doing that!"

"It's not my fault!" Mira pouted. "Gajeel's the one that said you were doing something back here. And besides, it sounded like it. The table creaking, Lucy saying it wouldn't fit, the screaming..."

Laxus burst out laughing as Lucy's mouth dropped open and her face colored again. "She has a point."

"Like we'd do something like that here!" Lucy grumped.

Suddenly, Mira's expression brightened, her whole mood improving. "Are you saying you'd do something like that elsewhere?"

"W-What?" the blonde stammered.

"That's a good question," Laxus mused, fixing the woman beside him with a sexy look. "Would you?"

Lucy blinked owlishly, biting her lip as if she hadn't a clue how to respond, and Mira squealed. "That's a yes! It's got to be! Oh I can't wait to tell everyone!"

The barmaid hopped around in a circle as Lucy came to herself, throwing her hands out in front of her. "Wait...that's not-"

"Oh I'm so excited! We'll have to have a party, and cake, and balloons!" Mira carried on as she headed towards the door. She paused though just over the threshold and looked back with a glare. "If you ever mess with one of my gifts for Master again, I'll make sure you regret it. Understand?"

The two nodded quickly, and then Mira smiled beautifically again. "Wonderful! Now, clean up in here and get ready for the celebration!"

"But..." Lucy trailed off as the other woman left the room. "What in the world just happened?"

"We just started dating apparently," Laxus laughed, then threw an arm over her shoulder. "How about that, girlfriend?"

Lucy's eyes went wide at that, then she blushed.

_Maybe she'd have to thank Mira after all. _


	13. Opposites Attract

_This one is dedicated to **winterwind135**. I had a blast with it, and I hope it fits the picture you had in your mind! _

_And for all those wondering, this little fanfic is all about the pairing I like to call Leviki. :D_

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**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail. _

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**OPPOSITES ATTRACT**

_NOTHING IN COMMON, BUT EVERYTHING TO GAIN_

"Hibiki!"

The sound of his name on her lips had Hibiki groaning with barely restrained fervor, his hips driving up into her tight little body in quick succession and pushing another plaintive cry from Levy's lips.

How he loved to hear those little mewls from her dainty mouth. She was surprisingly responsive in bed, and he couldn't get enough.

They'd been at this for a couple weeks so far, and he could honestly say he'd never enjoyed a woman more. It had surprised him to find himself so drawn to her. Normally, he went for the curvier women, ones that wore their sexuality like a second skin, but he'd discovered pretty quickly that Levy had far more to offer than any of those cookie cutter women ever did.

She was smart and funny, and cute as hell, and though she was a bit on the quiet side, it hadn't taken much persuasion to draw out a more aggressive aspect of her persona. Their first night together had been a revelation to them both, and he'd been knocked on his ass by the extent of his attraction to her.

She had been so unassumingly sensual, her body both tight and round in all the right places, and he hadn't been able to resist. He still wasn't. Levy had unerringly trapped him in her web, and he hadn't the slightest notion to find his way out. He was all in for as long as this dynamite woman would have him.

Levy arched again, her lithe body bowing up into his when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, and she cried out, clutching at his shoulders as if to steady herself. She had never felt such pleasure as she'd found with Hibiki, and even now, after sleeping with him more than a dozen times, it was still just as good. The man seemed to know his way around a woman's body, which hadn't been a shock, but the way he handled her body, the way he seemed to find every erogenous spot had thrown her.

They were compatible in an oddly fascinating way, and for the life of her, she couldn't understand why. They seemed far too different to match so well. She was quiet, reserved in many cases, and more times than not, had her nose stuck in an old book. Hibiki lived a faster lifestyle as evidenced by the ease with which he pleasured her body, and he was popular. His face had been plastered in nearly every issue of Sorcerer's Weekly she'd deigned to buy.

They were opposites in every sense of the word. Other than their mutually high IQ scores, there wasn't much between them that looked similar, but for some reason, it hadn't seemed to matter. Somehow, they fit, and it wasn't just the sex, though that was hair-pullingly amazing. But they worked even with the clothes on. It was bizarre...and incredibly satisfying.

As was what he was doing right now.

She gasped as he pulled her legs up along his chest, aiming her feet at the ceiling and pushing himself deeper inside her. It sent heat exploding inside her, that orgasmic coil pulling tighter and tighter until all she could do was clench at the sheets beneath her and fight for every shuddering breath.

Hibiki had no trouble seeing what he was doing to her. Already, he was familiar with the look that crossed her face when she was close, and if that wasn't a big enough indication, then the sudden constricting of her core certainly would have clued him in. Her body closed around him, her walls beginning to flutter with her impending release, and he closed his eyes in ecstasy.

He loved this part, loved feeling what his body did to hers. It was a high to know he'd been the only man to ever stir her up like this, the only one to draw such sexy sounds from her. It was just one more thing that made her feel like his, and he liked it. He wanted her to be his, to belong to him in a way no other woman had been before.

"Oh God..." she rasped as the pleasure swelled inside her, and then the orgasm was on her. It flooded her feverish body with wave after wave of the same wonderful sensations Hibiki gave her on a regular basis, and she cried out a garbled version of his name.

She couldn't get over how he could gift her with such intense orgasms every time they were together, but she'd be lying if she didn't agree that she loved it. She adored how he played her body, how he stroked her and kissed her, how he fit so perfectly inside her. And that was just it – he felt perfect for her.

Hibiki struggled to hold his steady pace as she gripped his shaft so tightly, but he couldn't fight the pleasure that threatened to sweep him away. She was squeezing him and milking him for everything he was worth, and his body refused to deny her. With a shout of surrender, he gave her what she wanted. He thrust forward again, embedding himself deep, and let himself go.

She moaned loudly as he flexed his hips against her, and he was powerless to stop his release. He came with an undignified grunt, holding onto her legs tightly as he filled her with every drop of his pleasure.

Amidst their ragged breathing, Hibiki slid her legs down off his shoulders and shifted down onto the bed beside her. Levy sighed happily and curled into his side. This had to be the best feeling in the world, this contentment of both body and soul. And she was content - with him, with her life, but she wanted more.

She had thought a lot about it, and she wanted them to be a couple. She didn't want it to just be sex between them anymore. But what about him? Could Hibiki want that as well?

Before she could voice her concerns, Hibiki reached up and brushed a gentle hand across her face, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. He gazed at her, and a soft smile lit his face. "I want you."

A giggle spilled up from her mouth at his statement. "You just had me, Hibiki."

"I know," he said with a shake of his head. "But that's not what I meant. I want you...for today, for tomorrow, and next week, next month."

Levy's heart skipped a beat at his words. He was saying everything she wanted him to say, but she had to be sure they were on the same page. "You mean you want a real relationship?"

"Yeah, I want it all. What about you? How would you feel about that?"

His simple answer had a grin shooting across her face, and with a squeal of happiness, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. She couldn't quite believe she was getting what she'd hoped for, but there it was. There he was, all hers for the taking.

Hibiki couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, and he wrapped his arms around her as she drew her head back. "I take it you like the idea," he teased.

"Yes I do."

He watched in rapt fascination as a delightfully naughty grin appeared on her face, and then she was throwing a leg over his body and settling herself over his hips. She rubbed herself enticingly over his already thickening length, and he was hard pressed to keep a growl from his voice when he asked, "What's all this?"

A wink told him she knew he was struggling, and then she shifted again, rubbing tantalizingly slowly over his shaft. "Well, you did say you wanted me." Her eyes widened in mock worry, and she moved as if to climb off him. "Unless you didn't mean right now..."

His hands latched onto her ass, and he brought her hot body back down over his own. "Oh I definitely meant now...and every other moment from here on out."


	14. Stalk Me In Shadows

_**The Evil Stick**, this may not be what you had in mind, but you said something fun with his shadow form. And honestly, what could be more fun than this? *giggles naughtily*  
_

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**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**STALK ME IN SHADOWS**

"Run little Bunny...I'm coming to get ya!"

His voice seemed to echo through the trees, and he couldn't stop the deep chuckle that followed as Lucy let out a high-pitched squeak and took off running again. He was toying with her, letting her think she was getting away when all along he was literally right behind her.

Gajeel drifted along the ground in his newly acquired shadow form, keeping out of sight as he slipped in beside his prey. He watched as she whipped her head around, her lips parted and lifted into a smile, her chest heaving with her labored breathing.

She was excited, he could tell, her steps so light she was almost dancing. And he liked it. It had become something of a game for them, her taunting him, running from him, and him giving chase.

And he'd catch her. He always did. But the chase, that was what he liked. He liked stalking her in the soft light that filtered through the leaves and tracking her by her sweet scent. There was something about the whole thing that appealed to his dragon side and lit his blood on fire.

And the capture...holy shit, the capture always set his pulse racing. He'd wait until she was strung up tight, her heart pounding in her chest, the delectable scent of her arousal all but suffocating him, and then he'd pounce. By that time, he'd be damn near beyond control, his mouth all but watering at the thought of tasting her, his cock hard as nails.

And it wouldn't be long before he'd be there again. Already he could feel that familiar stirring in his belly as she took off again. He followed, sweeping along the forest floor in his covert form until he raced right along side her. But she didn't know.

Lucy had never been able to discern where he was in the shadows, and that only seemed to fire her up more. She honestly seemed to enjoy the suspense of not knowing when he'd be coming for her, and he was happy to oblige her. After all, it was in his nature.

He liked this side of her. It teased his senses and forced him to hold back his baser instincts until the last damn minute. And when he finally got his hands on her, it was like he'd earned it, like she was the reward at the end of a trying mission. She was the fucking prize in this game, and he couldn't wait to have his way with her again.

She looked so damn hot right then, her hair a mess, her clothes bunching up from her frantic escape, giving him just a glimpse of what lay beneath. He could almost taste her excitement, and that sent his own jackknifing in response.

A low growl slipped from his mouth at the thought of what lay ahead, and it echoed through the area, causing the blonde to bite her lip on a laugh. She scanned the woods around her, looking for any sign of him, and Gajeel could hear the quick uptick of her heart beat. She wanted him to find her, wanted him to take her like he had in the past.

There was something about this raw side of his nature that Lucy seemed to enjoy. She was drawn to it, and it had shocked the hell out of him the first time he'd discovered it. But he couldn't complain. He couldn't lie and say he didn't get off on it. He loved every second of it, and it completely rocked his world that she did too.

Unable to wait another moment to touch her, he swept up behind her, transforming just his hand to cop a feel of her butt before he faded back into the brush. He laughed as she spun around, slapping her hands over her backside as if in protection.

"Hey, that's against the rules," she fussed, but the laugh that accompanied the words let him know what she really thought of his action. "No shifting part of the way."

He skated around behind her again and called out, "Since when do I play by the rules?"

"Never," she agreed with another laugh as she turned slowly to search for him.

"And you love it," he hummed just beside her ear before shooting away again.

Her pulse spiked again, and her breathing went ragged in anticipation. "Yes..." she whispered.

Gajeel could smell how much she loved it, her arousal coating the very air he breathed with her delicious scent, and he let loose a feral growl. He was done for.

With a quick shift of his magic, he solidified a few feet behind her and launched himself at her. They went down in a tangle of limbs, with Gajeel twisting to ensure he hit first and Lucy squeaking out her surprise on top of him. But that surprise didn't last long as she dove for his mouth and spread her legs over his body.

A rumble of approval sounded in his chest, and he rolled them over and sank between her thighs. She was hot against him, her sex only shielded by a thin covering, and he reached down and ripped it away. Her hands were already moving to his pants, and within moments, she was pushing them down his hips and tugging him to her entrance.

"Fuck yes..."

He couldn't keep the thought inside as he pushed between her wet folds. She was so goddamn warm inside, and as she wrapped her legs around his waist, he swore he was in heaven.

He thrust into her body quickly, setting a rough pace that Lucy seemed all too eager to enjoy if her soft whimpers were anything to go by, and Gajeel dropped his mouth to hers. He swallowed down all those sexy sounds, and hammered into her willing body like a man possessed. And she took it all and begged for more.

She clawed at his back, her nails digging into his skin, and he fucking loved it. Every mark was a sign of the pleasure he gave her, a bright red announcement to anyone that saw it that he gave his woman every damn thing she wanted. It was a commendation of the highest order to him, and he relished in making her lose control like that.

It wasn't long before she was stiffening against him, her body going rigid as she broke from his kiss and wailed her release. She exploded around him, her walls squeezing him in that incredible vice grip she had, and he cursed.

He wanted to go longer, wanted to fuck her over and over again until she was begging him to stop, but it was going to happen just now. The first time always hit him hard when they did this, and this time wasn't any different. It tore through him, ripping a snarl from his throat as he pistoned into her faster and finally let the pleasure take him. He slammed into her a final time, and he came.

His breath came in pants, and as he looked down, he found Lucy in much the same position. But she smiled that sexy smile, and he knew it would only be a matter of minutes before he'd be riding her again.

"Again?" she asked breathlessly, sliding her hands down to his ass.

"Hell yeah..."


	15. Stuck In The Middle

_This whopper is all for **0Shadow Panther0 **and **Shattered Green**. Hope you two don't mind how I blended your ideas. :D_

_****__PAIRING: StiLuRo (Sting/Lucy/Rogue)_

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**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**STUCK IN THE MIDDLE**

If anyone had asked how Lucy came to be in her current situation, she would have had to say she didn't know. She supposed it started innocently. She had just been making friends with the members of Sabertooth at the post Grand Magic Games party, and then somehow within a month, she was spending large portions of her time with two of the other guild's prime members.

Somehow she found herself getting closer and closer to Sting and Rogue until the three of them were planning outings nearly every other weekend. She'd go to visit them one weekend, then two weeks later, they'd come to her. Before long, it was a foregone conclusion that those times of the month would be spent together.

Even Natsu had commented on it. He'd been more than a little peeved that he'd been excluded from their little get-togethers but when he'd realized that Sting wouldn't be fighting him, he'd quickly lost interest. In his words, they didn't know how to have fun.

But Lucy couldn't have disagreed more. She enjoyed spending time with the two of them and their exceeds. She loved the quiet moments with Rogue, simply sitting outdoors and looking up at the sky. She wasn't even sure how many times they'd lain there in the grass and just talked - about nothing and everything. She couldn't have asked for a more calming partner than him.

And then there was Sting. He was fun and wild and more than just a little reckless, but he got Lucy to do things she'd never thought she'd do, much less enjoy. There was something incredibly exciting about being around him.

But it wasn't all rosey with them. She'd had her fair share of frustrations with the Twin Dragons. For Rogue's part, he could get a little too quiet, keeping his thoughts and feeling bottled up so tight she thought she'd darn near lose her mind. Then there was Sting, who couldn't be serious to save his life. No matter the occasion, that man was always saying and doing the most inappropriate things.

There was always some sort of pervy comment slipping out of his mouth, and more often than not, it was about her. He'd incessantly commented on her clothes and her body, and though she'd be lying if she said it didn't puff up her chest a bit, she had to admit it could get old pretty quickly.

Still, even with the odd little annoyances they each brought, she found herself draw to them. And by the sixth month, they were spending the night at each other's homes. At the time, it hadn't felt like a big deal. It had just been easier to stay together rather than paying money to rent a room somewhere. It had all been in the name of frugality.

But then things had changed. She couldn't put her finger on when it had happened, but at some point, she'd looked up and realized that the three of them had entered into some sort of love triangle. It was the craziest thing, something right out of one of her books. The only difference was this was real, and it was her that was stuck in the middle.

One morning, she'd woken up and found herself attached to them in a way that had surpassed simple friendship. But what that meant, she had no idea. Did she love them equally? Were they both just as important to her as the other?

But that could never work. She had no intention of being in a relationship with two men, and for certain, they wouldn't appreciate the idea either.

Without a doubt, she was in a fix. Having feelings for two men could only lead to disaster, for her, for them, for their friendship, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what she wanted.

They seemed to know it too, and every day, they looked at her as if wondering if she'd made a decision yet. But how could she? They were friends, the best of friends, and she didn't know how to pick one without hurting the other.

The biggest issue, however, was that she couldn't seem to make up her mind. She was quite literally stuck, and it was beginning to wear on her. She felt guilty for standing in the middle of two really decent guys, and she had fought with herself over how to handle things. She knew she had to make a decision. It was only right. But which guy was the right one for her?

Her question was answered two months later, her choice revealed to her by way of a rather harsh argument between the two men. She never intended to listen in. Honestly, she was just returning from the bathroom and sort of stumbled upon their conversation, but once she'd heard her name, she hadn't been able to bring herself to leave.

"Did you see that outfit?" Sting whistled low and chuckled. "She's practically asking for a good fucking."

A growl sounded from across the room, then Rogue snapped, "Stop talking about her like that!"

"Oh please, like you haven't thought about doing her," Sting fired back.

"She matters more to me than just a quick roll in the sack!" Rogue yelled, his voice rising in volume. "And she deserves better than how you're talking!"

His words had Sting snarling in response. "What's that supposed to mean? You saying I don't give a damn about her?"

"You run around all the damn time talking about nothing but how she looks, how hot she is, how her tits are big, how her ass is just right, but what about her? Do you know anything about her other than her measurements?!"

"You son of a bitch! You don't know a fucking thing about how I feel," Sting shouted, getting in close and giving his dark-haired partner a quick shove. "She knows it though, and that's why you're pissed. You can't stand it that she wants me and not you!"

Lucy's eyes widened at what Sting said, and she moved to enter the room to stop the fight from going any further. But she didn't make it in time. A frighteningly loud roar left Rogue's mouth, and then his fist reared back and slammed into his best friend's face. "All you give a shit about is her body! You don't care about her. You just want to fuck her! Well, I love her, you sorry piece of shit! You hear me? I love her!"

Before she could cover her mouth, she gasped, "Rogue!"

The sound drew both men's gazes, and she winced at the twins looks of uncertainty in their eyes. They had both said some things she was sure they hadn't meant for her to hear, and she hated that she had overstepped their hospitality in such a way. But she had learned some things she'd had no clue about.

Like Rogue. She'd never heard him speak so vehemently before, and certainly never heard him curse that way, and to hear it now, directed at his best friend was a complete and utter surprise. But what came as a real shock to her was what he'd admitted to – that he loved her.

She'd had no idea his feelings for her ran so deep, and it sent a spark of warmth flaring in her chest. It was a comforting thing knowing he cared so much, but she hated that the knowledge came at the destruction of their friendship.

Pushing aside the happy revelation, she moved closer to the feuding men and stepped between them, facing Rogue while Sting clambered to his feet behind her. She knew Sting well enough to realize that he'd be looking for retaliation. He wasn't the type of man to allow a hit like that without some form of retribution, but she didn't want that. And that meant Rogue would have to be the level-headed one again.

She knew it was no different than usual, and she hoped that would make it easy to calm the Shadow Slayer down enough to settle things. But Rogue took one look at the way she stood before his friend, and he nodded before she could say a word.

"Don't worry about it, Lucy. I understand..."

With that, he was gone, disappearing out the door and into the woods like the shadows he used in his magic. She stood there dumbfounded and turned to the blonde man behind her, only to find him scowling at the exit.

"Damn it. I didn't know..." Sting muttered, then dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. "Shit."

Yeah, that was about it, as far as Lucy was concerned. It looked like even Rogue's partner had know he possessed such strong feelings for her, and from what the Celestial mage could tell, Sting was feeling guilty.

So was she. She had taken her sweet time deciding something that her heart already seemed to realize, and now Rogue was pulling away. She sighed, feeling tears spring to her eyes. Everything was going all wrong.

She sniffed a bit, and lifted a hand to her eyes. "I didn't either. Why didn't he tell me?"

Sting was quiet for a moment, so quiet that when his voice came, it startled her. "Go after him."

She spun around, her eyes wide as he continued, "I didn't see it before. If I had, I would have stopped flirting with you. But I can tell now - you love him too, don't you?"

Lucy bit her lip on a sob. "I...I think so."

"Then go after him," he said shortly, then nodded his head toward the door. "You should hurry before he gets too far away. He's probably going to that meadow I told you about in the woods."

Lucy smiled tearfully and threw her arms around Sting. "Thank you," she whispered, then without waiting for a response, she took off out the door.

Rogue reached the meadow only moments after he'd left the house, and with a quick shift from his shadow form, he sank to his knees. He couldn't believe this had happened. Lucy finally knew how he felt about her, that he loved her, and she had stood there in front of Sting as if to protect him. She had chosen, and it couldn't have come at a worse time.

He'd exposed his heart, and now she would know just how invested he was in her, how much he'd hurt because she hadn't picked him. God, Sting had been right. Lucy had never wanted him. She'd wanted his blonde team mate.

Rogue had made a damn fool of himself, and it hadn't done a damn bit of good. He wasn't even sure why he'd ever thought he had a chance with her. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and - though Sting swore he didn't notice- she was sexy as hell. She was perfect, sweet as hell and yet equally just as sassy, and he had fallen for that combination lock, stock and barrel.

But he should have known that Lucy would prefer Sting's light to his darkness. It was always that way. Sting was outgoing and confident, and while Rogue trusted in his own abilities, he had never had the ease Sting possessed when dealing with women. He was simply not that good.

But Sting...he could, as the arrogant man always bragged, talk the panties off of any woman, and Rogue couldn't stand to think of his partner doing that very thing to Lucy.

She was everything he'd ever wanted in a woman, but it didn't matter. By now, she was probably already in Sting's arms, his lips were probably already pressed against hers, and if Sting had his way, he'd be leading her up to his room in a few short minutes.

The thought had Rogue clutching a hand to his stomach. Why couldn't she have picked him? Why couldn't she see that Sting didn't love her, that he was simply interested in her. Rogue knew he'd been unfair to his friend. Sting may be shallow at times, and certainly he was known for taking a woman to bed without knowing the first thing about her, but Rogue also knew that Lucy was different. She had managed to get under both men's skins, and in his case, she had dug her way all the way to his heart.

But Sting didn't love her. He liked her for sure. That much was obvious in the way he'd avoided other women the entire time he'd been trying for Lucy. But his feelings for her didn't go as deep as Rogue's did. He wasn't sure anyone could ever care for the woman more than him.

But she was with Sting now, and he would have to find a way to stuff those emotions down. She deserved to be happy, and if his blonde friend could do that for her, then he would just have to deal. But he knew it wouldn't be easy. He would have to see them together, see them holding hands, kissing, and he wasn't sure he could do it.

How was he to choke down his love for her like it was nothing?

He shook his head in defeat and sighed. He couldn't even say he wished he'd never fallen for her, because it wasn't true. She was worth it, worth every sharp pain in his heart, every swell of nausea in his gut. Even though he hadn't won her affections, he knew he could never regret knowing her. She was beauty personified, both inside and out, and he would cherish every moment he'd been blessed to spend with her.

She had changed him, opened his eyes to a new way of thinking, and he couldn't ever wish that away. He loved her, and he knew he couldn't have chosen a more incredible woman to care about.

"Rogue?"

Her soft voice sent his eyes opening and going wide. What was she doing here?

She seemed to see the question in his eyes, and she gave him a soft smile and dropped down in front of him. Her small hand reached for his where it lay on his leg, and she threaded her fingers through his own. "Why did you leave like that?"

His heart sank as he realized that she had come out to check on him. He had gotten his hopes up, thinking she had come to tell him she loved him in return, but the truth was quick to knock some sense into him. Lucy was a kind woman, a woman with a heart of gold, and she wouldn't have been able to move on with Sting without making sure he was okay first.

Gently, he pulled his hand from hers. "You...you made your choice, and I didn't want to make things more...difficult by being there."

Lucy frowned up at him, then stubbornly reached for his hand again. "I did make my choice, and you should have stayed long enough to hear it."

"You're right," he sighed, giving a little tug on his arm again, but this time, Lucy had latched on tight. "Lucy, let go of-"

He never got a chance to finish as Lucy began talking. "No, I'm not letting go of your hand. I'm never letting you go again..."

Her quietly spoken words sent a jolt of hope zinging through him, but he shook his head. He had to have misunderstood what she meant. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying..." she said, then leaned up, placing her hands on either side of his face. "I pick you. I love...you."

Before Rogue could do more than gaze at her in surprise, her head leaned in and her lips pressed against his. A shiver worked its way down his spine, and he grabbed at her with eager hands. He was afraid to believe that she was his, to trust that this all was real, and he held on tight so she wouldn't disappear.

Slanting his head, he deepened their kiss, slipping his tongue in her mouth, and she hummed in pleasure. That little sound sent a thrill down his body, firing up his blood in a way only she had ever been able to do. He could feel himself hardening, pushing against the fabric of his pants, and he groaned as he pulled away and dropped his arms.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, shaking his head ruefully. "I've just wanted this for a long time."

"Shh..." Lucy said, reaching for his hands again. "Don't apologize."

With a boldness that stunned him, she set his hands low on her waist and tugged him back against her. "Kiss me."

He let go of his restraint in the wake of her command and did as she'd said. This time, there was no hesitation, no softness. There was just this overwhelming sense of urgency, and as she arched her soft body into his erection, he growled in appreciation.

It was more than he could have imagined, his need so much greater than anything he'd ever experience before. He wanted her so much, wanted to feel her skin against his with no barriers. He wanted to claim her, mark her so all other men would know she belonged to him, with him.

Of their own accord, his hands drifted up her body, slipping beneath her shirt. His action earned him a soft moan from Lucy, one that reverberated against his lips and tripped its way down to his groin. And then she was sliding daring hands up his chest, pulling his shirt up along with it. And it was suddenly just too much.

He drew away from her for a second time, and asked breathlessly, "Are you sure about this, Lucy?"

"Yes," she murmured with a perfectly assured smile. "I'm sure."

With her permission secured, Rogue let the beast inside him go, and he fell on her, barely managing to strip her clothes away without ripping anything. And then he stilled, taking in the sight of her beautiful body lying before him in the grass like some glorious offering to the gods.

He had never seen anything so stunning in all of his life. She looked like a fallen angel with her hair all spread out around her head, her rosy tipped breasts sitting high on her chest, her pale legs parted just enough for him to see her dewy entrance.

He swallowed hard as she beckoned to him, holding her hand out in invitation. She was giving herself to him – this beautiful, incredible woman was giving herself to him, a former enemy, a team mate to a woman who had belittled her and abused her. It was mind-blowing to him.

God, how he loved her, and he made up his mind that he would endeavor to show her just how much she meant to him every day for the rest of their lives. He would make sure she knew how much he respected her, how much he wanted her...starting with tonight.

With that declaration firmly in mind, he let his body sink down over hers, and she welcomed him with spread legs and open arms. And they made love for the first time in that special place of his.

They took their time, loving one another with their bodies, and as the pleasure took them both, they knew it was just the beginning.


	16. Close To You

_Request from **Mikethepokemaster **has now been fulfilled. Hope you enjoy this Sting/Yukino story._

_****__PAIRING: Sting/Yukino_

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**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**CLOSE TO YOU**

"Oi Lector!"

Sting stomped through the guild looking for his little friend. He'd been searching for the past thirty minutes for the little guy, and he was beginning to get worried. Everyone he'd asked had said they'd seen him with Yukino earlier but no one had noticed where he'd gone after that.

Now that he thought about it, no one had seen Yukino since then either. Maybe the two were together. That thought eased his mind a bit because he knew the pale blue-haired girl would take perfect care of Lector. She knew how much the Exceed meant to Sting, and she'd always treated him really well.

Of course, Yukino treated everyone well. She was just that way – a heart of gold if there ever was one. And he had to admit, he was glad he'd been able to convince her to rejoin Sabertooth. The place had just not been the same without her.

With a sigh, Sting pushed through the back door to the guild and walked toward the pool area. He had exhausted every avenue in the building, and though he knew this was the last place Lector would be, he had to check.

And it was a good thing he did, because there was the little red-furred guy in the arms of Yukino...in the pool.

"What the hell..." he muttered softly.

He couldn't quite believe his eyes. Lector hated the water. For as long as he'd known him, the cat had been terrified of all forms of water – lakes, oceans, pools. If it had liquid in it other than for drinking purposes, he avoided it at all costs, because he couldn't swim. And try as he might, he'd never been able to convince Lector to let him teach him. He not only said no; he'd flat out refused.

But there he was stretched out in the water on his belly with his arms outstretched and Yukino's hands beneath him. His little face was screwed up in determination and a little bit of fear, but as the girl cooed softly to him, he bucked up and began paddling again.

It had to be the cutest thing Sting had ever seen, and he didn't use that word lightly. Hell, he didn't use it at all. But the sight of Yukino helping Lector in such a way pulled at his heart. She couldn't know how much it meant to him that she would do something like that for the mouthy Exceed.

A smile tugged at his lips as he watched her coach Lector, her own face tinted with amusement as she called out encouragingly and let go of him. Sting's eyes went wide as Lector slipped beneath the water, and he stepped forward to go to him when his little head bobbed back up. His eyes closed, the tiny cat sputtered once, then propelled himself forward, and then Yukino gave a happy cheer and scooped him up again.

The two laughed, and Sting couldn't help but join them. He could scarcely believe he'd just seen that, and as their heads turned in his direction, he beamed at his little friend.

"Wow Lector! That was fantastic! Way to go!"

"I did it, Sting! I was swimming!" Lector called back, his voice loud and excited. "Can I do it again?"

Yukino giggled at his child-like jubilation and nodded. "Of course you can. I'll be right here to catch you."

Sting studied the pair in the water as he strode towards them, but he found his eyes returning to his female guild mate. He'd never paid all that much attention before, but he was noticing now just how pretty she really was, especially in the water. Her skin was lightly tanned, damp from Lector's splashing, and he'd be damned if she wasn't wearing the tiniest damn bikini he'd ever seen her in. And she looked good.

He found himself imagining things, probably crazy things that would get him slapped, but he'd never shied away because of something so small. He went after what he wanted. He always had, and he always would. And right now, he wanted her.

He knew most people thought he was shallow, and sure he could be, but that wasn't the case now. He couldn't deny he found her attractive, and of course he'd love to spend a little time with her body – okay, a lot of time. But she was his friend first and foremost, and she'd just done something to make him look at her differently than he ever had before.

She'd been a wonderful person before, a great friend, but now...she was more. She was someone special to him because of what she'd done for his best pal. That meant the world to him, and it made her all the more incredible in his eyes.

So, he was going for it.

Pulling his shirt over his head, he shed his shoes and hopped into the pool. "Hey Lector, you feel like taking a break?"

The two turned to look at him with twin expressions of shock. "Huh? Why?" the Exceed asked, his little brow wrinkled in confusion.

A smile lit Sting's face. "So I can have a turn."

"A turn?" the red cat hummed.

"Sure buddy. I ought to learn to swim too, and it looks like you've found the perfect teacher," Sting quipped, tossing a wink Yukino's way.

The girl flushed at that, and Sting couldn't help but chuckle as she stammered, "B-But you already know how to swim."

"You know what? I think you're right," he mused, sidling up next to her. He leaned down, watching her eyes widen at his proximity, and he whispered in her ear, "Maybe I just wanted to get close to you."


	17. Just A Kiss

_Another combined request from **Otaku from hell **and **warriorqueenreyna. **Hope you guys like how I fit your two ideas together for this story._

_****__PAIRING: FreeLu or RuneStar (Freed/Lucy)_

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**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**JUST A KISS**

The day was perfect, absolutely perfect in Lucy's opinion, the sun high in the sky, but temperature just right. She loved this time of year when everything was exactly balanced, not too hot, not too cold, and nature was just beginning to flourish around her. The trees were laden with bright green leaves, and flowers were popping up everywhere, pouring out their fragrance into the fresh air.

It was just the kind of weather Lucy had been waiting for to spend a day in the park. She'd been holding on to a book she'd picked up at the bookstore down the road for just such a day as this, and she was looking forward to planting herself right there in the midst of the prettiest spot in the park, just between the fragrant gardenias and the multicolored patch of canna lilies.

But as she made her way through the gate, she caught sight of someone she didn't expect to see. She had to admit it would be a welcome surprise if not for the slight frown on the man's face. Even more strange was the way he was slumped on the bench. She'd never seen such poor posture on this particular man, and you could bet she would have seen it if it had happened.

Freed Justine was not a man to slouch or droop. He didn't lean or shrug. He stood tall, sat straight, and always looked completely regal. But the man that sat there before her wasn't doing any of those things, and she wondered what had put such a damper on his spirits.

Should she ask? She wanted to, but she wasn't sure she had the courage. She'd longed to talk to Freed for quite a while, but every time she thought she'd built up enough boldness to try, she'd taken two steps toward him and prompted felt every bit of that tenacity deflate.

He was Freed – handsome, intelligent, powerful, brave, and she was just Lucy. She knew she had a lot to offer a man - she wasn't stupid after all. But she wasn't at all sure she had a lot to offer this particular man.

Yes, she had a lot of self-confidence issues when it came to him, so how could she simply walk up and ask what was wrong? Still, he looked so down. How could she leave him like that?

Pulling her frail courage around her, she took the dozen or so steps to close the gap between them and sat down in the empty spot beside him. He looked up as if startled from deep thoughts, and Lucy couldn't help finding the action cute.

"Lucy..."

"Hi Freed," she hummed, offering him a slight smile. "You okay? You seem a little down."

At her observation, he winced. "I'm afraid I'm...out of sorts at the moment."

Lucy bit her lip, arguing with herself over whether to ask. Before she could change her mind, she blurted, "Did you want to talk about it?"

His brows lifted marginally, and Lucy shifted nervously as the silence stretched between them. Had she crossed the line asking that?

Then he cracked a smile. "That is a very generous offer, Lucy. Perhaps that would be beneficial."

There was no stopping the wide grin that spread across her face at his response, and she didn't even try. She was happier than she could have ever thought possible. And maybe this would give her the chance to finally catch his eye.

"So...what's bothering you?" she asked softly.

Freed gave a deep sigh, his shoulders dipping just a bit. "I am alone, and I'm discovering that I'm not very fond of it. Evergreen has gone off on a mission with Elfman and won't be back for several days. Bickslow is...only Mavis knows where doing Mavis knows what. He simply said he'd be back in a week." He paused then and shook his head. "And now, I've found out that Laxus has started dating Cana."

Lucy's brow furrowed at his explanation, specifically at the last part. Was he upset about Laxus's relationship with Cana because he was interested in her? Or...oh sweet Mavis, why did she have to think of that?

She'd heard the talk before, that Freed was into Laxus in a much deeper way than friendship, and though she'd certainly noticed his bizarre attachment to the man, she'd never put much stock in it. Because to her mind, Freed was all man, and it would break her heart more than just a little to find out he was gay.

Before she could school her tongue, the words flew from her mouth. "You're not in love with Laxus, are you?"

She wanted to call it back the moment she uttered the blasted question, and as Freed gave her a gobsmacked look, she wished she could simply sink into the ground.

"What in fairies' name are you talking about?" he asked, his head tipped to the side in confusion. "I'm not in love with him or any other man." He looked off into the distance then and sighed, muttering softly, "Why do people keep asking me that?"

Lucy's heart soared at his response, and more than anything, she longed to jump from her seat and dance around in celebration of this happy news, but she knew she had to show some modicum of restrain. So, she settled for a thankful, "Thank Mavis!"

Her eyes went wide a moment later as she realized how that probably sounded. Why in the world had she opened her mouth. She took a careful glance in Freed's direction and found the man studying her intently, his eyes narrowed with interest.

Oh heavens...had she just given herself away? "I mean...uh...what I mean is that it's um...probably for the best. You know...seeing how Laxus is taken now, and that would be painful for you..." she blathered, thankful that she at least made a bit of sense at the end.

But Freed wasn't buying it. He was no slouch in the brains department, and everything was pointing to Lucy holding more than a passing interest in his love life. Perhaps the pretty blonde had feelings for him after all.

He'd felt her eyes on him more than once, but he'd always chalked it up to simple curiosity. His brand of magic always elicited reactions like that – people were just inquisitive, especially with things that were highly uncommon and – in his case – slightly dark. So it hadn't been a stretch for him to assume that Lucy had been intrigued by his magic, or by his position in the Raijinshuu. That certainly had gotten him a lot of attention in the past.

But maybe this time it was different. Maybe this young woman wasn't after being seen with a powerful mage or a well known one. Perhaps, she was just interested in him as a man, and that fascinated him. He'd just have to test the theory.

"I must admit that I'm disappointed that you'd put much stock in rumors like that, Lucy. I would have thought you'd be above such things. I have to say I'm rather offended."

He watched as she shifted nervously on the bench, her teeth tugging rather cutely on her lower lip, and then she was rushing to explain. "Oh Freed, I'm so sorry for saying that. I swear I never believed that you were gay," she rambled, waving her hands around expressively. "I've always found you to be completely masculine – not that you couldn't be masculine if you were gay – but I mean, I just always hoped...I mean thought...I always thought you were straight."

She stopped talking and gazed up at him earnestly, then groaned and dropped her head into her hands. "Oh Mavis...what a mess."

Freed couldn't help but laugh at the forlorn expression that crossed her face just before she hid from sight. He reached out and pulled her hands away. "Don't fret so much, Lucy. I was just teasing you."

Her head lifted, and she blinked up at him uncertainly. "You're not mad that I asked you that?"

"No," he replied with a grin before leveling her with a pointed look. "However, if you ever doubt my sexual orientation, I may have to reevaluate my position."

Lucy giggled in what he assumed was relief, and she slumped back against the bench. "I'm so glad to hear that. You had me worried for a minute there. And I promise I'll never doubt your...preferences again."

Freed arched a brow at her skirting around the word 'sexual', and he couldn't resist poking a bit of fun at her. "Lucy, are you uncomfortable talking to me about sex?"

"W-What?" Her brown eyes went wide, and she flushed a pretty pink. "No, w-why would you think that?"

"Perhaps because you couldn't say the word 'sexual'."

She pulled her shoulders back in defiance even as she stammered out her argument, "I can say it!"

"Really? Then, let's hear it," he challenged.

He couldn't believe how much he was enjoying himself with her. He'd honestly never thought about spending time with Lucy before or getting to know her, but he found himself eager to do so now. She was fresh and innocent, yet she was also bold and a little abrupt, and he was finding the combination tantalizing.

Lucy opened her mouth, then closed it. "W-Why do you want me to say that?"

"Oh come on. It's not that difficult. Here, I'll help you. Watch my mouth," he teased. "Sex...u...al... Now you try it."

He watched in amusement and a bit of anticipation as her face flared a flattering shade of red, and then she just barely whispered the word back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Try it again."

He knew he must be grinning from ear to ear, but he couldn't stop. Her reactions were far too amusing. He'd never seen someone get so flustered about saying such a simple word, but he had to admit he found it enticing.

But Lucy was apparently feeling rather put out, because her face darkened, and she shouted. "Oh fine! Sexual! Are you happy now? Sex sex sex!"

A full-blown laugh shot from his mouth at her outburst, and he slumped against the back of the bench, trying to catch his breath. She was just too cute...and sweet. Holy Mavis, this girl was sweet. And as he pulled himself back into some semblance of control, he found the most incredible smile on her face.

She was watching him laugh, her expression bright and serene almost. It was like his joy in that moment had made her happy because she was gazing at him with a look of...awe or something akin to that. And before he could stop himself, he found his eyes drifting down to her mouth.

Freed wasn't sure if he'd ever wanted to kiss another girl more than he did right now. So, he did.

He didn't try to talk himself out of it. He just reached out a hand, grasping the back of her head, and pulled her to him. Her eyes went wide as his other hand came up to cup her cheek, but she didn't make a move to get away. No, she sank into him, her eyes dropping to his lips in the same way his had.

And then her mouth was on his, and he couldn't imagine anything better. Her lips were soft and pliant against his, and they parted on a sigh just as she pressed her hands to his chest.

It was almost unbelievable to him that this was happening. He wasn't the type of man to rush into things. He always preferred thinking things through, evaluating the consequences of his actions before he did anything, but this time, he threw caution to the wind. He had no idea why this time was so different, why Lucy had made him react so out of character, but he couldn't deny he liked it.

With a soft groan, he angled his head, delving his tongue into her mouth, and she answered with a hum of pleasure. It was all the encouragement he needed to press closer, to mold his mouth more insistently against hers. And she didn't seem to mind.

Her hands latched onto his coat, her fingers tugging the fabric as if to bring him closer to her body, and he let her. He couldn't make himself care that they were in the middle of the park. He didn't give a damn that anyone could see them behaving like this. He simply couldn't get enough.

But he knew they couldn't continue this way. Their relationship – for lack of a better word – was wholly undefined right now, and he wanted them to be on the same page before they went too far. Because he was interested in her, and it wasn't just about touching her or tasting her. He wanted to know her, wanted to hear her musical laugh. He wanted to hear her stories and share his own, and that could only be done with time.

So with a sigh of disappointment, he pulled away, pressing one last gently kiss to her lips before he sat back. But the sight that greeted him upon opening his eyes did nothing to help him restrain himself. If anything, it made the urge to draw her back in even stronger than before.

She was stunning with her face flushed with desire, and her eyes heavy-lidded in what could only be termed bedroom eyes. And her lips...the sight of her pink lips slightly swollen from his attentions made heat simmer in his belly, and it took every last bit of strength he had to curb his appetite for her.

Taking a stabilizing breath, he reached for her hand. "How about we go out tonight? We can get to know each other."

Lucy bit her lip as if in indecision, and he wondered for a brief moment if she had changed her mind about him. But then, she blurted, "Could we maybe take a mission instead?"

"A mission?"

"Yes," she said with a nervous grin. "If we stay here, we won't have any time to ourselves. If we go on a mission, we could be alone and..." She trailed off and nibbled her lip again as her cheeks flared. "Maybe it's too soon for that."

Freed chuckled and lifted a hand to smooth away her anxious expression. "It's not too soon. In fact, I think it sounds rather perfect."

Her face brightened almost immediately. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Why wouldn't I like it? I get to have you all to myself."


	18. Stirring The Past

_This one's for **Leonie**. I'm not entirely sure I nailed this one, but I hope it will suffice._

_****__PAIRING: Grana? Grayna? (Gray/Cana)_

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_Also don't forget to keep checking Nicole4211's and Deathsembrace137's pages. We did a crazy split with the requests, so there's no telling who ended up with yours. _

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**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**STIRRING THE PAST**

Lucy couldn't believe it happened again. Why her? And why the hell did the guild even have these damn books?

She and Gray had been returning a stack of books to the guild library for Levy, when she'd tripped and fallen into one of the shelves. And of course Gray, being the decent guy he was, had stepped in and tried to catch her before she hit the ground. Unfortunately, she'd jarred several books from the shelf, and wonder of wonders, the one to hit them had been a 'drag your ass back in time' volume.

She could swear she was cursed. That or maybe Gray was, seeing how they were currently in his past, not hers. And just like the last time, they were back at the guild, with Natsu and Gray both looking about 14.

They had worried when they first arrived that they'd be seen by the Fairy Tail members in the past, but it hadn't taken them long to realize that they were basically invisible. They were merely spectators here, watching the past unfold.

Lucy found herself curious about what she'd see during this visit to the past, and when Gray began to fidget nervously and try to convince her to take a trip into town to look around, she was even more interested. There was something coming, something he didn't want her to see, and that only made her more determined to know what it was he was trying to keep hidden.

"C'mon Lucy. There's nothing going on. Let's go find something to do."

The blonde stubbornly refused, shaking her head with a smirk. "Not a chance. Something juicy is about to happen, and I'm not going anywhere until I find out what."

Ten minutes later, her tenacity was rewarded as a young Gray and Cana slipped out the back of the guild, each glancing around as if to make sure no one was looking. Lucy followed the sneaky pair like some ghostly stalker with Gray right behind her, muttering something about damn irritating women.

She ignored that for the moment as the past versions of her friends came to a stop behind a tree. They gave another surreptitious look around, igniting Lucy's curiosity to new levels.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Cana asked quietly.

Lucy had honestly never heard her brunette friend speak so softly before, and she had to admit she found it rather adorable.

Young Gray nodded his head nervously, then paused. "Yeah, I don't wanna be the last guy in the guild that hasn't done it yet." His face flushed, and he added softly, "And I wouldn't want it to be any girl but you."

A long drawn-out "Awww..." left Lucy's mouth at that, and she clasped her hands together. "Gray...that was so sweet!"

Ignoring Gray's grunted response of "Shut up", Lucy watched as Cana blushed furiously. She'd always wondered if Fairy Tail's resident drunk was even capable of such an action, and here it was.

The small brunette version of her friend glanced down at her feet and all but whispered, "I wanted you to be my first too."

"Oh Mavis, this is too much!" Lucy cooed, her eyes bright with barely restrained glee. "You guys are so cute!"

"Son of a... Would you stop watching that?" Gray snapped, reaching out to grab hold of her arm. "It's kinda creepy. And quit saying all that stuff."

Lucy turned to him with a bright smile. "But Gray, it's your first kiss! And Cana's! It's so-"

Gray cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Jeez, would you shut up about it? It's just a kiss!"

"But Gray," Lucy argued, shaking her head in defiance. "It was your first kiss! And Cana's! How can you say it's just a kiss? First kisses are important. They're beautiful!"

Gray sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew there was no talking Lucy out of things when she was dead set on it, but damn if he didn't want to just drag her away. This was embarrassing. He'd always been fond of this memory, but now, with someone else watching such a private moment, he couldn't help the sting of self-consciousness. But he said nothing. He merely slumped against a tree, trying not to look completely defeated, and left Lucy to return to her stalking.

The blonde watched the two as they nervously leaned in, and just before their lips touched, the much younger and much less experienced version of Gray retreated and asked, "Do we close our eyes?"

A tiny giggle left Lucy's mouth at the proffered question, and she chanced a look in adult Gray's direction and found his shoulders slumping even more. She couldn't help but find the situation amusing, especially with how embarrassed the man seemed to get the longer they stayed there. But she tamped down on her amusement and gazed back at the scene before her.

"Um...I think so," Cana agreed, then clasped her hands behind her back as if to hide the fact that they were shaking.

Little Gray nodded his head sagely, then stepped forward again. "You ready?"

With a nod from Cana, he took a deep breath and leaned in. Lucy waited with bated breath, wondering if one of them would stop it again. But mere seconds later, their lips met, and Lucy couldn't restrain the Mira-like squeal that charged out of her mouth.

"Oh for the love of..." Gray muttered, turning away with a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

Lucy was nearly dancing by the time the two young people pulled away. She had never seen anything so adorable in her whole life, though she knew if she voiced that particular sentiment, Gray was likely to murder her on the spot. So, knowing it was in her best interest, she kept her mouth shut. She would keep her observations to a minimum...at least until they got back to their own time and Natsu was there to protect her.

With a giggle at her thoughts, she moved over toward her friend and leaned up against the tree beside him. He tossed her a glum look. "You done hounding me about this yet?"

"Maybe," she teased, bumping his shoulder. "It's not my fault you guys were so cute. Besides, I wasn't the one that brought us here. Your memory, you know..."

Gray sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Still don't get why that stupid book brought us here."

"Maybe it's because you're supposed to remember how much you like Cana," Lucy quipped, not quite stifling a giggle.

"You're never going to leave me alone about this, are you?"

A wide grin spread across Lucy's face. "Nope...it's too-"

"Yeah. Cute. Adorable. You've mentioned that," he said with an aggrieved grunt, cutting her off.

"Cause it's true!" she declared, then pointed to the younger couple. "Look at the two of you. You can't tell me that's not the sweetest thing ever."

Gray dutifully glanced in the pair's direction, then shook his head ruefully. "We were just dumb kids," he denied, but in the back of his mind, the thought lingered that he'd always thought Cana was cute then. No one would dare call her cute now. Not only was it not true, but Cana would most likely beat their ass for it.

No, she had grown from the sweet little girl into one fine looking spit fire of a woman. But of course, he wouldn't be saying that out loud either. He liked his head just where it was, and it certainly wouldn't be staying there if Gildarts overheard that particular thought.

Still, he grudgingly acknowledged that Lucy might have a point. He had liked Cana back then, probably a lot more than he was willing to admit, and at the time, there hadn't been any other girl for him. She was it.

But was that the case now? As he watched the past versions of himself with her, he didn't know. He still thought she was amazing. She was one of the closest friends he had, and unlike a lot of girls, Cana didn't have a problem with his stripping habit. Then again, Cana wasn't exactly Miss Prude herself.

Maybe he did still hold a little candle for her, but that didn't mean anything. She was his first kiss, and like Lucy had said, that was a big deal. Maybe what he was feeling for her was just residual, like phantom affections or something.

A picture of the brunette slipped through his mind, and he sagged. Who was he kidding? He still liked her a lot.

With that thought, a bright light flashed, swallowing him and Lucy up and depositing them back in the library rather roughly. They landed with a crash on the floor, and before he could even think to recover, Lucy was up and running toward the door.

"Cana!"

His eyes widening in alarm, Gray bolted from his sprawl on the floor. "Lucy, get back here!"


	19. A Meeting Of The Minds

_This is an AU fanfic for **Blue Kitsune** (who wanted a story about Laxus and Lucy at a masked ball), (who wanted some LaLu fluff), and **kerippi **(who just wanted some LaLu). I hope you all like it :D_

_****__PAIRING: LaLu (Laxus__****__/Lucy)_

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**_Hiro Mashima_**_ owns Fairy Tail. _

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**A MEETING OF THE MINDS**

Lucy stepped into the ball with a smile. Mira had outdone herself with her annual Fall Ball, filling the stately room with trimmings of bronze, copper, and cream. It was simply stunning, but what really caught the eye was the numerous attendees dancing about the room in their finery. Each one wore a mask, some wild covering their entire faces and others baring only the simplest of masks that shielded the space around the eyes.

Lucy had decided on the latter. She hadn't wanted to draw too much attention to herself in such a large crowd, and to be honest, the small black mask had gone perfectly with her dress, a modest but lovely black mermaid gown that hugged her curves from chest to hips and then flared out. It was a favorite of hers, mostly because of the shimmery little studs that peppered the fabric. She loved they way they winked when she moved, and every time she wore it, she felt like she was walking in the night skies.

She had barely made it down the steps and into the room when a man sidled up to her, bowing at the waist as he offered his hand.

"Would you care to dance?"

Lucy was slightly taken aback for a moment at the sudden offer. She nearly considered turning the gentleman down. After all, she was supposed to be meeting someone here. Mira had planned to introduce her to a man she said was simply gorgeous, and according to her white-haired friend, Laxus was perfect for her. She had her doubts, what with Mira such a romantic and all, but she'd agreed to it. So shouldn't she wait for Mira and this mystery man?

Then again, she hadn't seen the woman anywhere so far, and this man had all the appearance of being quite handsome himself. And he was offering nothing but a dance, so with a slight incline of her head, she placed her hand in his. The tall, broad shouldered man moved her easily through the crowd until he found an empty spot, and then twirled her around and into his arms. The move pulled a gasp from her throat that quickly turned into a breathless laugh.

"Wow, that's some move," she hummed, allowing herself to be swept along by his smooth pace.

The stout blonde-haired man chuckled, and Lucy found the sound more than a little appealing. Her interest only increased when he spoke, his voice a wonderfully deep timbre. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Well, now. I didn't say I liked it. I simply said it was quite a move," Lucy pointed out.

Her companion's mouth turned up in a smile, one with perfectly straight, pearly white teeth, one that had her heart stumbling in her chest. "I suppose you have a point. I guess I'll to up my game then."

With that, he spun her out, then drew her back in and dipped her down low. "How's this? Any better?" he mused, and Lucy swore his face behind the mask was etched with smugness.

He seemed to exude confidence like a second skin, and Lucy couldn't help but find it enticing as she dumbly nodded her head. What was it about a strong, bold man like this that got to her? Maybe it was the fact that there were so few of them that truly seemed comfortable in their own skin. Still, she could feel herself being sucked in by his presence.

This was probably a bad idea. Here she was, at this party to meet one man, and she was becoming far too interested in another. She felt kind of bad about it. But her logic reared its head, assuring her that she was doing nothing wrong. She wasn't tied to anyone, wasn't dating this mystery man that Mira was setting her up with. They hadn't even met yet for Mavis' sake, so why shouldn't she enjoy this tall, tempting man spinning her across the dance floor?

"So, when are you planning on telling me your name?"

His rich voice pulled her from her musing, and she blinked up at him as she put herself back together. She had such a bad habit of getting lost in her thoughts, and she was grateful that he didn't seem perturbed about that. Many men in the part had taken offense to it, thinking she found their company boring. It hadn't really been that. It was just that her brain could never truly turn itself off.

Dragging herself back from another of her brain's rabbit trails, she gave the large man a brilliant smile. "I thought the point of the masks was not to know."

"Well, that makes sense, I suppose. Of course, I've never been the 'play by the rules' type." He flashed that startling grin at her again. "I'm more of the 'make up my own as I go along' type."

"I can certainly imagine that about you," Lucy laughed, then tipped her head to the side in question. "I guess that makes you a bad boy?"

Once more, that smug look cross his features, well the ones she could see anyway. "Maybe. And what do you think about that?"

"That you're probably a very bad influence," she suggested, her voice coated in amusement.

"Oh, now that might be true," he acknowledged with a quirk of his lips. He leaned in next to her ear, and Lucy barely restrained the shiver that wanted to race up her spine at his whispered words. "But I can promise you I'm all kinds of fun."

And she believed it. Everything about this man oozed adventure. He radiated excitement and mischief like a billboard sign for all to see, and she liked it. Somehow she knew he could show her a good time. With him, she was certain she'd never have a moment's boredom, and that thought was enormously titillating.

She was just about to fumble through a response when something caught her eye just to the right. There was Mira, dancing close by with her fiance, Freed. Lucy gave her a quick wave, and the other woman returned it with a smile. But as Lucy's partner spun them a bit, Mira's smile widened, and her hand lifted into a thumbs up.

Lucy's brow wrinkled. "What in the world?"

She couldn't understand why Mira was so hyped about the man Lucy was dancing with. She was supposed to be introducing the blonde to a different man later tonight, so why would Mira be encouraging her with this guy?

"What is it?"

Lucy looked up at the man dancing with her, and nodded her head toward Mira. "Sorry, just my friend being strange."

He followed her gaze and laughed. "Oh you know Mira?"

"Yeah. You too?"

"A long time now. Since we were kids, actually."

Lucy hummed, imagining Mira as a child. She'd always wondered if the woman had been an incurable romantic even back then. "I met her about five years ago."

"Ah, I see. Back when she was living in Clover?" he asked.

The blonde girl nodded with a laugh. "Yeah. Meeting her was one of the best things that ever happened to me, but I have to admit I was a little overwhelmed at first."

A loud laugh burst from his mouth at that. "That's got to be the nicest way I've ever heard it described. Mira can be a handful, especially when she's on one of her crazy missions to set people up."

Lucy giggled. "I know. She's got me meeting someone tonight, and I have no idea what to expect. She hasn't exactly excelled at picking a guy for me so far, but of course I couldn't tell her no."

The large blonde man nodded with a grin. "She is rather forceful when she really wants something, isn't she?" He paused, then stilled. "Wait, you're meeting someone tonight?"

"Well yes, but..." Lucy trailed off, wishing she had kept her mouth shut. Was he upset that she was supposed to meet another man? She bit her lip nervously and wondered how she could explain that she no longer wanted to be set up with someone else.

She'd enjoyed her time with him so much tonight, but she couldn't simply shut Mira down. There was no telling how much trouble the woman had gone to to set everything up for her, and Lucy would feel bad messing it all up. She'd already decided that she would meet this friend of Mira's, but that was it. She wasn't interested, not after meeting this blonde Adonis.

"I'm actually supposed to be mee-"

His words were cut off as a man took the stage and began to speak over the steadily quieting music. "I hope you've all enjoyed your night thus far, and it's about to get even better. It's that time of night...time to remove your masks and meet your dance partners!"

A cheer went up around the room at his announcement, and Lucy could certainly relate. She was anxious to see this man's face in its entirety. She only hoped her earlier blunder hadn't ruined things with him.

"I guess it's time..." She reached up to her face and slowly pulled off her mask, then blinked up at the man beside her. He still hadn't said anything, and she was beginning to feel uncertain.

Then his hands lifted, easing his own dark mask from his face, and she could nothing but gape. She'd been right to compare him to Adonis. The man was quite literally the best looking man she'd ever seen in her life. He had stunning blue gray eyes, and though one was marred with a scar that looked oddly like a strike of lightning, she found it didn't detract from his appeal. It enhanced it, made him look edgier somehow.

A soft puff of air escaped her mouth, and the man's expression morphed into one of amusement. "Hi there," he said, temerity coating his voice as he took in her reaction to his face.

Tamping down on her childish urge to stare, she lifted her hand. "Hi, I'm Lucy Heartiflia."

"Nice to meet you, Lucy Heartfilia." He gave her a knowing grin. "I'm Laxus Dreyar, AKA the man you're supposed to meet tonight."

Lucy's mouth dropped open, and she stared in surprise before bursting out laughing. "Are you serious?"

Laxus chuckled and nodded his head, but before he could respond, Mira bounded up, her face alight with excitement. "I knew it! I knew you two would hit it off! Didn't I tell you?" she gushed, then turned to the green-haired man behind her. "See? They're perfect for each other!"

Her fiance shook his head but grinned placatingly at his future bride. "Yes darling, you were exactly right."

She gave a light squeal and grabbed hold of both Lucy's and Laxus' arm and all but hopped. "Oh you're going to have the most adorable babies!"

Eyes wide, Lucy and Laxus turned to each other. "Um...Mira. We just met. It's a little early for all that, don't you think?"

But Mira could hear nothing but the crazy thoughts in her head, and Lucy and Laxus could only watch in shocked dismay as the woman went on and on about planning their wedding and naming their children. Freed shook his head, then took the happy woman into his arms and surreptiously waved the new couple away before she could get started again.

With twin sighs of relief, Lucy and Laxus hauled ass, their hands tightly clasped together. The blonde woman might not be ready for everything Mira was intent upon signing them up for, but she certain they'd found something special.

Maybe it would end in tears or maybe it would end in a love to last the ages. Lucy didn't know, but she sure as hell wanted to find out.


	20. You Should Be Mine

_A request for ******X0FairyTail0X** involving my favorite pairing of all time...Gajucy. :D Hope it's everything you wanted it to be._

**_PAIRING: Gajucy (Gajeel/Lucy)_**

* * *

**_Hiro Mashima _**_owns Fairy Tail._

* * *

**YOU SHOULD BE MINE**

Gajeel was annoyed, and not just a little bit. He was right on the edge of stark raving mad, and the really frustrating part was he didn't have a damn right to be. For the last hour, he'd watched as guy after guy approached the girl he was interested in, each one leering more than the last, and he had just about had it.

His blood boiled at the way they looked at her, the way their eyes caressed her exposed form. He was damn near losing his fucking mind, but there wasn't shit he could do about it. Lucy wasn't his. But damn if she was, he'd be ripping everyone of those fuckers a new one. He'd teach them not to so much as glance at the beautiful blonde stretched out in her bikini on the beach.

His mind raced with all the ways he'd punish them, how he'd humiliate them. He'd prove to them why a woman like Lucy would never even look at them twice and why he should be the man always be her side. But of course, that required him to prove that to her first.

Damn it...why hadn't he made a move yet? Now, he was out here, feigning indifference to keep his guild mates in the dark about his attachment to the blonde. He hated pretending anything. He was the type of guy that didn't care what people thought or how they looked at him, but this was different. His pride was at stake here, and a man's pride was not a thing to be trifled with. Until he had approached Lucy himself and knew where she stood, he'd be keeping his lips sealed and his actions tame.

But that wasn't doing him a damn bit of good at the moment, because there was another damn man striding up to the woman in question. Why couldn't they leave her the fuck alone? Couldn't they see she was with people? But more importantly, how did they miss that she was too damn good for their sorry asses?

A low growl slipped from his mouth as he watched the preppy looking man kneel down beside Lucy, his eyes raking over her voluptuous figure before she opened her eyes. Fucking jerk...

And he was acting all innocent, like he hadn't just been eye-fucking her. Of all the filthy little disgusting things to do...

With a sneer of dissatisfaction, he pushed away from his spot against a rock and stalked his way towards the offensive male. He couldn't take it any longer. He wouldn't... Lucy deserved better than that little pissant, and Gajeel vowed that he would remove him from her presence, regardless of how it looked.

As he walked up, he could hear Lucy trying to dissuade the guy, her voice strained but still struggling to be nice. But he had no hangups about being unkind. It had never bothered him a bit, and this situation was only encouraging that side of him.

His shadow fell over the two of them, and the pair looked up with very different expressions. The man was annoyed at the interruption, which Gajeel could give two shits about, but Lucy...she looked happy to see him. And that sent his confidence through the roof.

"You're gonna want to back off now," he snarled lowly at the intruding man.

Said man however didn't take the hint. Apparently, the pretty boy had marbles for brains, because he stayed right where he was and glared up at Gajeel. "I believe I was talking to the lady first. Go find another chick to hang with."

Gajeel saw red at the blatant way this creep ignored his warning. "I don't give a fuck if you've been talking to her since last week. She wants you gone, so...get...lost."

"And just who the hell are you to tell me what to do? You her boyfriend or something?"

The question stumped Gajeel. He wasn't anything to Lucy. Well, not anything that would allow him to shove this guy out on his ass.

But apparently, he didn't need to respond as Lucy spoke up, a bright smile on her face. "Yes, he is actually, and he doesn't really do patience... So you might want to skedaddle now."

The man's countenance clouded up, but Gajeel barely registered it as he was too stunned to do much more than stare like a dumbfounded fool at his blonde guild mate. Had she actually just told this asswipe that Gajeel was her boyfriend?

Thankfully, the asstard took the cue from Lucy and hightailed it away from the area, because at the moment, Gajeel wasn't entirely certain he could bring himself to look away from the woman who'd just claimed to be his. Damn, he wished it were true.

"Thanks for your help, Gajeel."

His ears registered the sound of her voice, and he blinked down at her. "Oh, you're welcome. Just didn't like how he was harassing you."

"Yeah, he wasn't really getting the point. I guess I'm too nice," she said, her lips turned up in a rueful smile. "Maybe you should stay here so I won't have any more problems," she quipped. "You don't seem to mind telling them to move on."

His brow wrinkled. Now, she was inviting him to stay with her? "You want me to hang out here? With you?"

"Well, yes. I mean, unless you don't want to."

Gajeel shook his head. "No, it's not that. I just...I don't understand why you told him I was your boyfriend."

"What? You don't want the job?" Lucy asked, tiny mouth turning down in a mock frown. "I guess I thought wrong then. Sorry about that."

With that bomb dropped, she stood to her feet and began to move toward the ocean. It didn't take long for Gajeel's mind to catch up, and when it did, he reached for her and pulled her back.

"I didn't say that."

"Oh?" she mused, her lips curving into a knowing grin. "Then what are you saying?"

She had known all along. Somehow, Lucy had known he wanted her, and from all accounts, it looked like she was just fine with it. He felt his own lips lift, and he yanked her forward, straight into his body.

"I'm saying..." he muttered softly as his head dipped down to hers, and just before their lips met, he finished, "Yes."


	21. Here Kitty Kitty

_Well, this one went a little differently than I had planned. hehehehe... For you, **Dark-Otaku-One-Of-Many**. _

_Hope it at least comes close to what you were looking for._

_**PAIRING: NaLu (Natsu**__**/Lucy)**_

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**_Hiro Mashima_**_ owns Fairy Tail._

* * *

**HERE KITTY KITTY**

"Oh my God, Natsu! I cannot believe you did this!"

Lucy was livid. Also rather frantic, but mostly livid. She had no idea how her partner managed to get them into messes like this so often, but this one was most certainly the worst by far. She was a cat...a freaking cat!

Well, to be fair, she wasn't exactly a cat, but for Mavis' sake, she had a tail and ears! She hadn't a clue what had possessed him to go out and buy a potion to turn himself into a partial neko, but knowing Natsu, the answer to that probably wouldn't make much sense to her anyway. And to top it all off, she didn't have a clue how to undo it all because of course, her hair-brained partner couldn't be bothered to also get the antidote for such a thing.

And why had he shared the damn thing with her? Why did he always have to drag her along on these crazy schemes of his?

"Aww...come on Luce. It's not so bad. You look pretty cute like that!"

Lucy's eyes narrowed on her pink-haired friend. "Are you suggesting that I stay this way?"

"Now, why would I want you to do that?" he asked, his expression puzzled. "I just think it would be fun for a while. Don't you think?"

He gave her a bright smile, then reached up to fondle one of her newly developed ears. "Who's a good kitty?"

The words would have normally brought a violent reaction from the blonde, but the moment his hand came in contact with her ear, she lost her ability to speak. His touch sent a shiver up her spine, and she gasped and jolted away.

What in Mavis' name was that?

"Yo Luce, why'd you move away like that? Don't you like having your ear rubbed? Happy says it feels great!"

Her mind was a jumble, and she didn't fully realize what Natsu intended when he moved toward her and reached out for her ear again. "See? Isn't it nice?"

"Oh my God!" Lucy called out, and slapped his hand away.

What on earth was he doing to her? And how the hell could these damn cat ears produce such a startling sensation in her body? Obviously, this potion gave her feline parts that worked a hell of a lot differently than a regular cat's did, because she was pretty certain that Happy didn't get aroused by Natsu scratching his ears.

"You sure are jumpy today," Natsu muttered.

"I'm not jumpy. I just don't want you to mess with my...ears," Lucy explained, trying to come up with a reason why he should avoid touching her.

But she needn't have bothered, because he wasn't even paying attention. In the next instant, he was grasping at her tail, and asking, "How about this?"

A soft groan filtered up her throat as he stroked along the furry length, and she clapped a hand over her mouth in alarm. She couldn't believe what she'd just done, what he'd just done. It simply made no sense to her addled brain how it could feel this way. It was like he'd touched her between her legs, like his fingers had danced along the dampness of her panties.

Once again, she retreated, making sure to keep both tail and ears far from his questing hands. She wouldn't be able to handle much more of that.

The fire mage frowned at his partner, his brow furrowing in confusion. "You okay, Luce?"

The blonde nodded shakily. "Yeah, just...just don't do that again."

"Why, does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt. It just..." Lucy trailed off. How was she supposed to explain this? She had no idea what Natsu knew about sex, but she had no intention of being the one to spell things out for him.

"Okay then. You do me!" he announced, then yanked her arm up and deposited her hand on his ear.

Eyes wide, Lucy froze. "I-I'm not sure this is a good idea, Natsu."

"Oh come on. We were just starting to have fun."

Fun? She wanted to take that had he'd dragged to his head and smack him with it. She wasn't having fun. She had a hard enough time dealing with her interest in the nutty ding-dong without having him toying with her hormones this way.

Maybe she'd give him a taste of his own medicine. "Fine then. We'll see how you like it."

At her barely concealed threat, Natsu's face paled, finally understanding that his partner was still annoyed. But Lucy was already teasing the fuzzy triangle on the side of his head, and he shuddered under the tender assault.

That one touch was enough to ignite a fire in his belly, one that he normally had no trouble controlling when Lucy was around. He'd fought hard to keep her in the dark about his growing feelings for her, and had made damn sure he hid that secret side of him that wanted to do all sorts of tempting things with her. But this was too much, and he felt his pants grow tighter with every second her hand was on him.

Abruptly, he pulled back from her, his nostrils flaring and his breath coming out in soft pants. He couldn't do this, couldn't keep his cool under such delicious torture. But Lucy wasn't done. The look on her face promised retribution for what his bumbling had put her through before.

She reached for his tail, giving it a firm tug, then deftly guiding her hand down the full length. And he felt that all the way down to his groin. Every pull, every feather soft touch of her hand was like a stroke to his cock, and as the blood rushed south, he lost the last shred of control he possessed.

With a growl of desire, Natsu launched himself at Lucy, pressing her back against the counter as he descended upon her mouth. She gave a startled squeak at his action, but he was too far gone to do more than register that she hadn't pulled away.

And then she was tugging him closer and moaning against his mouth, and he lost track of anything but the taste of her on his tongue and the feel of her body against him. He was intoxicated by her, so damn drunk on her that he could barely think straight.

And he was so consumed with her that he failed to notice the door to Lucy's apartment opening or the sound of wings flapping. But damn if he didn't hear Happy's voice calling out to him.

"Natsu! You forgot the antidote!"

The two broke apart, gasping for air, their faces matching shades of red as Happy floated to a stop in front of them. Then, to their shared chagrin, his face morphed into a teasing grin, and he laughed.

"You liiiiiiiike each other!"


	22. The Best Is Yet To Come

_I'm not even going to lie. This one stumped me for a little while. But then, my great pal **Nicole4211** had an idea, and before long we were knee-deep in a plot. Hope this one makes you smile, **Princess Mononoke503**_

_**PAIRING: Surprise (I'm not giving this one away)**_

* * *

**_Hiro_**_** Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

* * *

**THE BEST IS YET TO COME**

"So, what should we do tonight?" Lucy asked, settling in amidst the insanely large number of stuffed animals on her best friend's bed.

The other blonde stood across the room and lifted a small hand to her chin. "Hmm...we could rent a movie. My brother is home this weekend, and I imagine he'll be out with his friends. So with Mom and Dad away for the next week, we'll have the run of the house," Mavis said with a grin.

The two shared a look, then as a team shouted, "Girl's Night!"

"So what kind of movie do we want? Oh, nevermind, I know what you want. Something with half-naked guys in it," Lucy teased with a giggle.

"Hey, that's you. I have a boyfriend now. I don't need to dream about random half-naked guys," Mavis argued, crossing her arms in mock disdain.

Lucy laughed. "Oh yeah, you just dream about the one now!"

"Exactly!" she chirped, her smile bright with happiness before her expression fell. "I just wish he wasn't mad at me right now."

Immediately, Lucy climbed from the bed and threw her arms around her bestie. "I'm sure it'll blow over soon. It's not like Laxus to hold a grudge for a long time, right? Besides, he loves you too much to stay pissed."

"I know," Mavis said, her face brightening just a bit. "He's pretty great, isn't he?"

"Yeah, yeah. Now, if only we could find me a man like him!" Lucy said with a pout. "Why can't he have a brother?"

Her slightly shorter pal laughed, and assured, "Don't worry so much. We'll find you a nice hot man to lick on like a lollipop, okay?"

"Aww...you're the best friend ever!"

Just then, a loud beat filled the room, followed by the distinct strains of Mavis' favorite song. She hurried over to the desk to pick up her phone, and turned around to grin hopefully at Lucy. "It's him."

With that, she answered the call. "Hey...Oh I'm just sitting here with Lucy...No, she's staying the night...I don't know...Maybe, hang on a sec."

Pulling the phone away from her head, she covered the mouthpiece. "He wants to talk. I feel so bad-"

Lucy cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Go go. Don't worry about me. I'll be here when you get back."

Mavis put the phone back to her head. "Okay, I'll be there in about 5 minutes."

Hanging up, she spun around and gathered Lucy up in a quick hug. "Thank you so much! I swear I won't be long!"

"You're fine. I've spent almost as much time in your house as I have in mine," Lucy explained with a laugh. "Now go!"

With a little wave, the other blonde was gone, racing down the stairs and out to her car in record time. Lucy shook her head in amusement. She'd never seen a couple more obsessed with each other. Even when they fought, it was nearly always resolved in a few hours, and then everything would be right as rain again.

She was really glad Mavis had found a guy she really loved, but she had to admit that at times, she felt jealous. She had yet to come across a guy for herself. Sure there were boys at school. As a senior, she had certainly had her share of dates and guys hitting on her, but none had really caught her interest.

She kept telling herself one day, and Mavis was constantly agreeing with the sentiment, telling her that her Mr. Right was out there somewhere. And she believed it. She was in no real hurry. She was young, and next year, she'd be going off to college. Maybe that's where her mystery man was hiding.

With a laugh, she moved to the desk and snatched up her phone and keys. While Mavis was gone, she might as well go pick up a few movies for them to watch later. So, she trotted down the stairs and headed off to the Redbox down the street. It wouldn't take her long, and she could pick up their favorite snacks while she was at it.

Fifteen minutes later, she was pulling back into the drive and eyeing a familiar looking 1973 Aston Martin Vantage parked off to the right. Looks like he's here, she mused as she climbed from her car.

It had been almost a year since she'd seen him. He'd left for college shortly after he graduated high school the year before, and he'd hardly had any time to visit since then. She wondered if he still looked the same, whether he was still the same easy-going guy he'd been before.

Well, only one way to find out. She grabbed the bags of snacks she'd bought and the 3 movies she'd chosen, and trudged into the house. She didn't bother to knock. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd done it as this had always been like a second home to her. She'd practically lived here during the summer for as long as she'd known Mavis. She even had a key.

She made her way into the kitchen and found Mr. College himself hovering over the stove, flipping what looked to be a grilled cheese sandwich. A smile touching her face, she leaned on the island behind him. "Hey stranger."

Zeref turned, his mouth quirking up into a wide grin. "Hey yourself. I see you're still creeping into the house unannounced."

"You know me," Lucy laughed, throwing her arms out to the side. "Besides, I'm here all the time. You're the interloper now."

"Interloper huh?" he chuckled as he slid the sandwich onto a plate just in front of her on the island.

Lucy looked down at the crispy sandwich and realized how hungry she was. "Hey, where's mine?"

"Yours? You're the one that's here all the time. Make your own," he challenged good-naturedly.

Lucy pouted as he turned away to wash the pan, and then she grinned wickedly. Screw that.

A moment later, Zeref returned and found Lucy with a half of his sandwich in her hand and the mid-section shoved indelicately into her mouth. "What the hell?"

She bit off a large chunk and barely stifled a grin as she dropped the mauled half back onto his plate. "I waff juff makin' sure it waff okay," she mumbled with a hand over her mouth.

Zeref rolled his eyes, then handed it back to her. "Don't you ever get tired of stealing my food?"

Swallowing the enormous bite down, Lucy gave an impish shrug. "Well, I wouldn't have to if you just made me one too."

It was the same argument they'd had since they had been just barely teenagers, and Lucy imagined it was one they'd be having until the day one of them died. She certainly had no intention of quitting. His food always tasted better than hers. At least, that's what she always told him. He didn't need to know she was just lazy.

"So where's my sister? Aren't you two joined at the hip?" he asked, ignoring her ploy for more food.

"She's with Laxus. They were arguing today, so they're making up."

Zeref frowned. "What were they fighting about?"

"I don't know." Lucy threw up a careless hand. "Probably which one of them loves the other the most. You know how they are."

The dark-haired man laughed. "Yeah, I do. I swear they make the whole dating thing look easy."

"Yeah, tell me about it. At least, you don't have to see it all the time. Makes me look bad," Lucy giggled.

"Why's that? No boyfriend for you?"

The blonde shook her head. as she sank down onto one of the numerous bar stools. "Nah. But I don't care. I've decided that guys suck anyway."

Zeref gave her a deadpan look. "Um...hello? I'm standing right here."

"What?" Lucy asked, then laughed as she realized what she'd implied. "I didn't mean you. You're not a guy."

His eyes widened, and he slapped a hand against his chest in offense. "Excuse me?"

Another sharp laugh burst from Lucy's mouth. "Sorry, I meant you're not just any guy. You're...well, you're you."

"Ah...I'm me. You mean fabulous and handsome and just all around perfect," he summed up with a smug quirk of his lips.

"Um...not a chance, Mr. Delusional."

Zeref winked at her, letting the moment pass with nothing more than, "Sure. Whatever you say, Lucy."

Lucy of course rolled her eyes at him. He was always trying to get her to admit he was hot, but she would be damned before she ever did that. Well, at least out loud. Inside her head was another story altogether. In her brain, she could freely acknowledge that he was beyond sexy.

However, that little tidbit of information was relegated to just her own personal thoughts. No need for him to know it and get a swelled head.

"So, what are you girls up to tonight?"

Lucy reached into one of the bags beside her and pulled out three DVD's. "Movie night."

"And..." he said leadingly.

"And you know me too well." She dropped two large sacks on the counter with a grin. "Everything a girl could possibly need right here in one bag."

Zeref laughed, then opened the top of one. "Let's see what you've got here. Popcorn. Gummie Bears. Hershey Kisses. Soda. Mint chocolate chip ice cream. Crackers and..." He lifted a can from the depths of the plastic bag. "Easy cheese. My favorite!"

Before Lucy could stop him, he uncapped the top and squirted a generous helping of cheese into his mouth.

"Hey, that's not for you," Lucy hollered, reaching out to snatch the snack from his hand. "That's for me!"

"You stole mine. Why can't I steal yours?"

"Because," she said loftily. "Mine is for eating during the movie."

With a wide grin, Zeref grabbed the can out of her hands again. "Well, then I guess you better start the movie." He gave a loud laugh as Lucy frowned, and then he raced toward the living room with her hot on his trail.

"Get back here you thief!"

Zeref hopped up onto the couch, perching on the back with the can of cheese held high into the air behind him. "Oh come on now, Lucy. Didn't your mother teach you to share?"

"Yeah, but she never said with who," she called out and scrambled up on the sofa after him.

She stretched herself over his reclined form, struggling to get her hands on the snack he'd stolen when all of a sudden he lost his balance.

"Whoa!"

That was all he managed to get out before he toppled over the back of the couch, bringing Lucy down with him. He hit the floor with a loud "oomph," and the blonde landed right on top of him, forcing another gasp of air from his lungs.

But that didn't stop him from bursting out laughing at their situation, and before long Lucy was howling right along with him. She couldn't believe what had happened, and though she knew she should feel awkward lying over his body like that, she couldn't seem to stop laughing long enough to move.

She looked down at his face and found something serious dawning in his expression. Suddenly, the laughter inside her chest dissolved, and she was left with the startling urge to lean forward and capture his lips with her own.

But that was crazy. This was Zeref, Mavis' brother. And they'd never had this kind of attraction before, but as she gazed into his eyes, she couldn't deny feeling a connection to him.

And before she knew it, he was reaching for her head and drawing her down. Their lips met a moment later, and Lucy swore her heart would pound out of her chest. How could this be happening?

It seemed so surreal to her, and yet somehow it felt so right. There in his arms, she found that she wasn't nervous. She was completely at home there, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. But did it really matter? He was the first guy to ever make her feel this way, and that had to mean something.

So, she let herself go, gave herself over to him and every sensation he awoke in her. And Zeref held her close and kissed her like she'd never been kissed before until a they heard a loud gasp behind them. They pulled apart - well as much as they could with Lucy all but sitting on top of him – and turned guiltily toward the sound.

"Oh...my...God..." Mavis muttered, her eyes wide and her expression stunned. "You... I..." She paused, trying to formulate a proper sentence. "I was only gone for an hour and a half."


	23. Moonlit Moments

_For **Thorn The Laughing Willow** and **Lunestar96**. Hope you guys enjoy this story!_

___**PAIRING: Gajucy (Gajeel/Lucy)**_

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**_Hiro Mashima_**_ owns Fairy Tail._

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**MOONLIT MOMENTS**

The moon was full as Lucy made her way through the woods, her mind full and her heart heavy. She was in quite a fix this time, and she couldn't blame it all on her team. She'd known how they could be on missions, and she hadn't prepared for it, hadn't put extra money aside just in case. And now, she was being evicted from her home.

She had been close to not making rent far too many times, and her land lady had just had enough. She had kindly but firmly told Lucy that she had one week to remove her things, and Lucy couldn't really fault her. She supposed she'd had this coming.

But the problem was...what was she going to do now? She had nowhere else to go.

Well, that wasn't exactly the truth. She took a moment to calm her frazzled nerves and reminded herself that she wasn't alone anymore. She had friends. She had a family in Fairy Tail, and they'd never let her live on the street.

Still, the options were rather unsavory to her after living on her own, with her own space for so long. There was Erza, and Lucy loved the woman dearly of course. But she just could not see living with a woman who routinely alternated between squeezing the life of her with a hug and terrifying the daylights out of her.

Then there was Levy, who would be a prime choice if not for the gobs of books the small girl had stacked all over her room. There was scarcely any space to walk, much less put in another bed.

Mira of course would house her in a second she was sure, but honestly their little house was cramped. How could she add to their already strained situation with her own belongings?

Cana was another option, though not by much. The woman was a wonderful friend, and Lucy knew the brunette would help in any way possible, but the fact was that Cana was a big partier. And Lucy just was not. Their lives, though merging in a strong friendship, simply did not follow the same paths.

Natsu would certainly offer his assistance in a heartbeat, and though the thought of such a gesture brought a smile to her face, she knew that was an impossibility. The man was an incurable slob, and with his propensity to play pranks on her, she'd end up killing him within a week.

And that left her with Gray. Now, Gray was many things Natsu was not. He was clean and quiet, at least at home, and he didn't always feel the need to joke around. He would be a perfect fit for her in terms of housing, if not for one thing. The man was a dog. She'd found out quite accidentally about his pervy little tendencies, and had vowed to avoid that merry-go-round of women at all costs.

And that brought her right back to where she'd started. Nowhere. She supposed if worst came to worst, she could ask Master to let her bunk at the guild until she could gather enough money to find another place of her own. She doubted it would be an issue, but she had to admit, the idea didn't appeal to her. The guild stayed open late to accommodate the many late night drinkers, and she knew it could get pretty loud. That meant she'd be up to all hours of the night, which bespoke of the loss of a great deal of sleep.

It wasn't perfect, but it was something. And she'd just have to deal with it until something better came along. At least she felt a bit better now that she had some semblance of a plan.

With a soft smile, Lucy reached for her belt and touched on a key. "Open, gate of the Lyre, Lyra..."

A gentle light washed over the area, and when it faded, the small figure of Lyra appeared, her dainty lips lifted in a bright grin. "Lucy, I'm so glad you called for me!"

The blonde smiled in return and said, "Of course. I was hoping you would play something for me...something uplifting maybe? It's been a hard day."

"I'd love to! Anything to brighten up your night, Lucy!"

With that, she began a soft, lilting tune, her voice following a moment later. It was beautiful and calming, and just what Lucy had been needing. It felt like the quiet strains were melting away her worries, dissolving those last remaining reservations about her future, and replacing them with a sense of peace.

Everything would be okay. It would all work out. It was as if the song was reiterating what she'd been trying to convince herself of before, and it was working. She could feel the muscles in her shoulders relax, and she closed her eyes with a sigh, letting her body absorb the subtle message tranquility.

Before long, Lucy found herself swaying with the music, her tense form bending to the peaceful tune and within a minute or two, her steps were sure, her breathing unhindered by fear. She felt amazing, tranquil even, like she could handle whatever came her way.

And so she danced. She let herself go, let the dulcet tones of Lyra's voice carry her away until she was free. Nothing could touch her or damper her spirits. She had her friends, and they would never let her down.

On the other side of the woods, another soul was out. But there was no pleasant music to cheer him or peaceful singing to calm him. Gajeel was just annoyed. His job had gone far from how he'd thought it would, and his decision to go with Shadow Gear had only made things worse.

The entire day had been spent in an almost constant state of frustration for him with Jet and Droy both trying to involve him in some sort of pissing contest for Levy's attention. And he'd tried to be civil, well as much as he was capable of, but after the first hour, he'd had enough. He'd snapped at one of them, and that had led to the pair of morons to think he had designs on their petite team mate.

After that, there'd been no convincing them otherwise. No amount of denial on his part or blushing rejection from Levy had changed their minds, and he'd finally given up. He'd just wanted the job done, so he could be rid of the aggravation. Not that Levy was bad. She was the only one of their group that had any sense, and he didn't mind working with her. But the other two...oh it would be a cold day in hell before he shared a mission with them again.

He stomped down the path to his house, and for once wished like hell that he'd decided to live closer to the guild. All he wanted was to be done with this day. He wanted a quick meal, a hot shower, and some peace and quiet. But apparently, that wasn't going to happen.

From a fair distance away, he caught the soft strains of music, and at first, he found it entirely disturbing. After all, it was late and surely he wasn't the only damn person out here that wanted to go to sleep.

But after a while, he could feel the rigid set of his shoulders loosen, and he came to a stop, his brow furrowed in confusion. What the hell was that music?

He fought the curiosity for a moment, trying to hold onto his previous annoyance, but it was simply gone. And now, he found that he couldn't resist the urge to find out what was causing this strange phenomenon. Was it magic?

It took him a moment to realize that his feet were moving, pushing his worn out body toward the sounds coming from across the forest. And he didn't fight it anymore. That peaceful tune was beckoning him, teasing him with a chance at utter relaxation, and he had to know what it was.

Minutes later, he pushed aside a large branch and drew to a halt. It was Bunny Girl, or rather it was one of her Spirits singing and playing the music. And there was Lucy, her lithe form twisting and turning in the moonlight, moving in the most elegant dance he'd ever seen.

She was stunningly beautiful, and the thought so shocked him that he grunted and stepped forward, unknowingly dropping his foot over a dry pine cone. The music stopped abruptly, and Lucy spun towards him, her whip sailing out and activating in one smooth move.

"Who's there?" she demanded, her expression fierce.

Once again, Gajeel was struck with her allure, entranced by her graceful movements, but he shook away the unnerving attraction and called back to her. "It's just me," he said, stepping out of the shadows.

Almost instantly, her posture relaxed, and she offered him a smile. "Oh Gajeel. I didn't realize it was you."

"Obviously," he agreed with an arched brow. "So, what are you doing out here?"

Lifting a finger up at him, she turned to her Spirit. "Thank you so much, Lyra. I feel so much better now."

With a happy nod, the small musician waved goodbye and disappeared, leaving the pair of Fairy Tail mages alone in the woods. It was the first time they'd really been alone before, and Gajeel was certain the blonde would find it awkward.

But she faced him with her usual cheerful expression. "I come out here some times to relax, and Lyra is always really great at calming me down. And quite frankly, I really needed it today."

Assuming that Lyra was the Spirit who'd just left, Gajeel focused on the rest of her sentence. "What happened today?"

"Oh," she said with a little laugh. "I'm getting evicted. Just found out today, and I was kind of freaking out."

His brows winged up in surprise. She sounded...fine. Shouldn't she be crying or having a melt down? Wasn't that what women did when bad things happened to them?

"You're getting kicked out of your house?" he asked, his forehead wrinkling with confusion. "Why? And why the hell aren't you having a melt down?"

Lucy laughed at his perplexity. "Did you want me to be having a fit?"

"Well...no. But isn't that what you chicks do? Cry and shit?" he muttered, then cringed at the backlash he suddenly realized he could get from that question.

But the blonde simply giggled again. "Sometimes, but I'm fine now. No crying and shit."

His brow arched at the curse that slipped from her mouth. "You making fun of me?"

"A little. You basically called all girls crybabies and drama queens."

A smile lifted the corners of her mouth, and he couldn't help smiling in return. "That's not exactly what I said."

"Close enough," she said, then tipped her head to the side. "So, why are you out here in the woods tonight?"

"I live over that way," he explained, pointing off in the direction he'd come. "I was heading home from a mission and heard the music."

She nodded her head. "Well, I hope we didn't disturb you too much."

"No..." He paused, then added with a rueful grin. "Well actually, it pissed me off at first. I've had a real shit day, and I just wanted to go home and hit the sack. And there's this music that just won't quit."

Lucy winced. "I'm sorry Gajeel. I didn't mean to be a bother."

"It's nothing," he assured, waving her apologies aside. "It ended up helping me calm down a little. That's actually why I came over here, to see who it was."

"Well, then I'm glad it helped," the blonde said, offering a soft smile. "So why were you having a bad day?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes, remembering the mission from hell. "I made the mistake of taking a mission with Shortie's team, and those two dingbat team members of hers were on my ass day about having a thing for her."

"Oh, I see." Lucy giggled, then clapped a hand over her mouth when he glared at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. I can imagine how annoying that must have been, but I couldn't help picturing them both pulling on her arms like some kind of toy."

The Iron Dragon chuckled at her description and added, "They'd be arguing about who she belongs to, and she'd be yelling for someone to save her."

Another laugh billowed from her mouth, and she nodded. "Exactly! That poor girl." At his pointed look, she bit her lip on a grin, and said, "And poor you, of course."

"That's better," he joked, enjoying the easy banter between them.

He had to admit he was stunned at how much he liked talking to her. He'd never really had the opportunity to do it without her team around, and maybe that was why this was such a shock. He hadn't realized how much fun the little blonde could be. Maybe they could hang out more often.

But he was getting ahead of himself. She was damn near homeless, and he was worrying about stupid shit. "So, what are you going to do about a place to stay?"

Lucy shrugged. "I'll probably ask Master if I can crash at the guild for a while and then hit up the request board for high paying jobs."

"You can't stay with one of your team mates?" he asked, wondering if there was some sort of problem.

"Oh I'm sure I could. I just don't know if I could take it for very long." She laughed and shook her head. "They're all a little...what's the word I'm looking for?"

Gajeel grunted. "Crazy as hell?"

"Yeah, that'll work."

Suddenly, Gajeel had the craziest thought, and he was sure he must be losing his mind. Or maybe her insane team was finally getting to him...

But the idea intrigued him, and before he knew what he was saying, he blurted out. "Why don't you come stay with me and Lily?"

She blinked at him with wide eyes, and all was silent for a moment before she spoke. "A-Are you serious?"

Was he? Was he actually considering it?

He took a second and really thought about it, imagined the situations that could occur if she were to live with him, and he found that it didn't unnerve him like he thought it would. The idea of her being in his space, sharing his things didn't bother him. In fact, he was beginning to find the whole thing exciting.

"Yeah..." he said, warming up to the thought. "I think I am." He laughed as he caught her shocked expression. "What do you say?"

The surprise stayed with her, but slowly, a smile climbed her face. "You're sure about this?"

"I already told you yes. So, what's your answer?"

Her eyes narrowed then and her mouth twitched. "You don't have any weird habits, do you?"

"No..." he replied cautiously. "Why? Do you?"

A laugh burst from her mouth, and she shook her head. "No, I don't. Well... as long as you're fine with it..."

"Yeah?"

"I say yes!" she cheered.

"Well, then let's go get your stuff, roomie." Gajeel turned to walk in the direction of her house, but glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. "By the way, I get the big room!"

Lucy jogged up behind him and laughed. "Hey, shouldn't we be discussing this? I'm the girl! I should get the bigger room!"

"You wish. My house...my room!"

"Then we share!" Lucy declared soundly.

Gajeel's eyebrow raised appreciatively. "Now, I can definitely get behind that idea!"

"I didn't mean it like that, you big perv!"

A loud burst of laughter sounded at her exclamation. "Whatever. Let me know if you change your mind."


	24. Say The Words

_Never thought I'd write this pairing, but here we are. lol This one's for **Ryujin**...hope it's everything you wanted it to be._

**_PAIRING: Miraxus (Mira/Laxus)_**

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**_Hiro Mashima_**_ owns Fairy Tail._

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**SAY THE WORDS**

If there was one thing Mira knew, it was love. She was the resident Matchmaker of Fairy Tail after all, and as such, she often knew a confession was coming long before anyone else did, including the one doing the confessing. And this time was no different...well, except for the unusual place she found herself in.

This confession was for her, and she'd seen it coming for nearly a week. Of course, she hadn't acted on the foresight. These things had to come about on their own, and no matter how long she'd waited for it, she couldn't rush it.

There was also the matter of the man doing the deed to consider. Laxus wasn't exactly the hurrying type. She'd known him for a long time now, and he had always done things his own way. There would be no prodding him or accelerating his time line. She would just have to wait.

And she did until she was sure she'd go mad with impatience. Had he changed his mind? No, those well honed instincts of hers said he hadn't, so why did he delay? Was he prolonging it for a reason? Maybe he knew that she'd already figured it out.

Finally, after nearly a month of anticipation, Laxus approached her, following her into the storage room at the back of the guild where they wouldn't be overheard. His face all but blank of emotion, he studied her, most certainly taking in the fast pace of her heartbeat and slight hitch in her breath. And then he spoke. "I want you."

She blinked at him dumbly. That was it? She'd waited all this time for a romantic confession of his feelings, and this was what he gave her? Her mouth hung open in disbelief. Was he kidding?

She was the Matchmaker. She was the self-proclaimed Love Expert of their guild, and he came to her, of all people, with 'I want you'? What a crock of shit. She couldn't' believe she'd wasted her time pining away for this moment.

With a deep scowl, she abruptly turned around and walked away. He could take that confession and shove it right up his ass. How dare he think he could approach her in such a way. She was a lady, and if he thought he could gain her affection by stating his desire for her body, he had another thing coming. She knew he cared for her. She just refused to allow him to skate on such an important moment. She deserved better than that, and she was going to get it.

"Hey!" he called, reaching out to grab her arm. "Where the hell are you going? Don't just walk away when I'm talking to you!"

Mira arched a finely curved brow at him, then glared down at his hand until he removed it. "When you say something worth addressing, I'll stay."

Once more, she moved to leave the room, and once more, he stopped her. "What the fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," she growled out, her usual bright smile morphing into a sneer of annoyance as she knocked his hand aside and jabbed a finger into his chest. "...you stupid, unprepared Neanderthal, that I have no interest in hearing such a poorly planned, badly executed confession from any man...much less you. If you have something meaningful to say, then I suggest you do so now."

His eyes wide, Laxus gazed down at her in silence, and in a fit of anger, Mira snarled loudly and stalked away, muttering about, "Stupid, idiotic men! Always half-assing things, messing everything up..."

Laxus watched her head back to the main room of the guild, and thought he wanted to stop her, he wasn't sure what to say. It was obvious he'd bombed the whole thing, and equally as obvious that she wanted some romantic gesture from him. He knew she wanted him. He'd seen the way she looked at him when she thought no one could see, but apparently, she wasn't going to just fall into his arms the way he'd hoped.

But what was he supposed to say to her? He wasn't the type of man that felt at ease with words and emotions. He was a doer, and no matter what he felt inside, he would always be more comfortable showing it than saying it. But she wasn't going to let this slide. In fact, he'd be willing to bet that she'd deny him until doomsday unless she got what she wanted.

And maybe she was right. He had kind of blundered that. 'I want you.' Didn't exactly scream romance, but in his mind, it said everything. He did want her, every part of that bipolar woman he could get. He wanted it all – the sweet and loving smile she wore day in and day out, the wild demon that hid just beneath the surface of her skin, the acceptance and forgiveness she exuded constantly. He didn't even mind her wild habits of trying to hook every damn body up with everybody else. It was crazy as hell, but it was a part of her...and he loved it.

Maybe that's what she was looking for. Like a light bulb going off in his head, the understanding came, and before he could think too much on how foolish he would look if he was wrong, he rushed after her. She was just turning the corner to walk back into the kitchen when he grabbed her and swung her around, smacking her body right into the front of his.

A soft gasp broke the silence as he wrapped his arms around her, folding her in close. She gazed up at him with wide eyes, her lips parted just a bit, allowing her quick breaths to escape, and he found himself mesmerized by the sight. He wanted to taste her, feel her mouth beneath his, and for once, he let his iron clad control slip away.

His head dipped, and he fell on her like he'd wanted to do for so long. He held her tight, felt her grasping at his shirt as she shuddered and sank into him, angling her head to deepen the contact. Laxus groaned at the sweetness of her mouth, the taste of her more intoxicating that he could have imagined, and he knew if he pushed just a little, he could have her ready and willing right now.

But that would – in her mind - prove that he only wanted her body, and she was so much more to him than that. She would never be just a woman, just the perfect representation of the female form. She was Mira, and she was every damn thing he'd ever wanted.

So he eased back, breaking the kiss, and set his forehead against hers. He took a moment to catch his breath, then closed his eyes and whispered, "I love you, Mira."

She was silent but for the sound of her quiet intake of breath, and then he smelled the familiar scent of tears. He leaned back in alarm, wondering why his confession had brought on such a strange reaction, and found – to his immense relief - that her mouth was curved into a trembling smile.

It was enough to send his own lips quirking up at the sides, and then Mira lifted her hands to his face and brought his head back down to hers. And just before their lips met for the second time, he caught the faint hum of her response. "I love you too."

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**_Okay, so I'll admit, this one was a little fun to write. But that doesn't mean I ship them! _**

**_*shakes head furiously* _**

**_lo_****_l_**


	25. Some Day

_So, I honestly have no idea who this request was for. I lost my notes, and it was a PM request, so it was impossible for me to find. So, for whoever requested this, I'm sorry about my scatter-brain, and I hope you enjoy this. _

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**_Hiro Mashima _**_owns Fairy Tail._

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**SOME DAY**

"So Lucy, what do you say you and me go out some time?"

Lucy smiled at the blonde-haired boy and was just about to nod her agreement when an arm dropped heavily onto her shoulders and a deep voice answered for her.

"Not a chance in hell, Sting. Now beat it."

Her lips turned down, Lucy looked up to find her brother smiling tersely at the other male. "Gray..."

"Hey man, don't you think you're taking the older brother thing too far?" Sting said, his expression shifting with annoyance. "She's old enough to date whoever she wants to."

Gray's eyes narrowed, his tense smile falling away. "Well, she's not dating you pal. So, do yourself a favor and find some other girl to harass."

"But Gray..." Lucy tried, but was silenced by the dark look on her sibling's face.

Sting smirked. "Looks like she doesn't want to listen to you. Looks to me like she wants to go out with me."

Once more, Lucy nodded her head in agreement, and once more, Gray shut her down. "Leave it alone, Luce. This guy isn't worth your time." He glared back at Sting, then gave an antagonistic roll of his shoulders. "And you...you best get moving, cause if I see you around my sister again, I'm gonna kick you ass."

The blonde guy bristled at Gray's challenge. "What the fuck is your problem man? She's your sister, not your damn girlfriend!" He stopped, his lips shifting into a mocking sneer. "Or is it like that? You got a thing for your sister there Gray?"

Lucy gasped, stepping back with her hands clasped over her mouth. She couldn't believe he'd suggested such a thing, and she knew without a doubt that Gray wouldn't let that go. It was going to be a fight.

Sure enough, Gray stepped forward and plowed his fist into that crude smirk, sending Sting flying back against the long row of lockers behind him. Her brother glanced her way, his mouth set in a scowl. "Get home, Luce. I'll be right behind you."

"Gray...don't do this."

But her plea was largely ignored as Sting clamored to his feet and launched himself at Gray. It was useless. There was no way her brother would let it end before Sting recanted his vile words, and she knew the snarky blonde guy well enough to know that he wouldn't be doing that lightly.

Giving a deep sigh, she turned and left the school. What a mess this day had become, and it had started out so well. She thought she'd finally gotten her first date, and then of course, Gray had ruined it all. He was always doing that, always jumping between her and a potential boyfriend before a relationship could even get off the ground. It was so frustrating.

That wasn't to say that what Sting had said was true. Such a suggestion was gross, and Gray certainly had never behaved in such a way toward her. He was her brother, plain and simple, but there was nothing simple about his over-protectiveness.

It was down right annoying at times. She couldn't seem to find any guy that Gray thought was 'worthy' of her time in spite of the many offers she'd gotten throughout her time in high school. And yet, with all those requests for dates, she'd still not gone on a single one, and it was all thanks to her brother. Somehow, he had managed to scare off every guy that approached her. Well, either that or he caused such a stink for the guys, that they decided she wasn't worth the trouble.

She'd begun to think she'd never have a boyfriend, and if Gray had anything to say about it, she wouldn't. She understood why he hovered so closely. Their parents were gone most of the time, had been for as long as she could remember, and Gray always felt like he had to look out for her, protect her.

Although she knew and understood why he behaved the way he did, it didn't change much for her. She was tired of being the only girl in her class without a boyfriend or at least having gone on a date at the very list. She wanted to know what it was like to get all dressed up, have a boy take her out, and have the time of her life. She wanted to hold hands and finally get her first kiss.

But she had a feeling that was a pipe dream, at least as long as she was sharing a high school with Gray. He was just far too focused on keeping her safe to allow anything to happen to her, even if it might turn out to be something good. In his opinion, it wasn't worth the risk.

To make matters worse, he was so busy keeping track of her that he'd neglected his own love life, which in turn had made him pretty cranky of late. It was so pathetic really – here they were in high school, supposed to be having the time of their lives, and instead, they were stuck together...all because Gray couldn't chill out.

She wondered how long he'd be this way, if it would continue all the way through college. God, she hoped not. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. The truth was she was lonely. She wanted a life of her own, outside of her brother and her non-existent parents. Yes, she had her friends, but she wanted more, just like every other girl in her school.

Maybe one day she could have that. Maybe one day, she could experience the first blush of love, feel shivers run up her spine from her boyfriend's soft touch. But for now, she'd just have to wait...


	26. My Girl

**_ImJustBatman_**_, hope you like my version of your request. I know it's slightly different than what you'd suggested, but I hope you'll like it anyway. _

**_PAIRING: Gajucy (Gajeel/Lucy)_**

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**MY GIRL**

"Oh girl, you are looking so fine!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at the cat call, trying to ignore the way the men around her were gazing so lecherously. She'd known when she'd chosen this outfit for the party that she'd get attention, but she'd had no way of knowing it would get so out of hand. She'd barely stepped into the room when the comments had started, and though most were fairly innocuous, some were downright nasty.

She realized that she didn't exactly dress to hide her body, but that didn't give these guys the right to stare so crudely at her or say such crass things. After all, she had a man. Sure, no one knew anything about it just yet, but that had simply been because it was fairly new and she hadn't wanted to draw attention away from the Grand Magic Games. Everyone had needed to be on their A-game this year, and so they'd chosen to wait until after it was all over to reveal their relationship.

Now, however Lucy was doubting the wisdom of that. She desperately wished she had let him claim her as his girlfriend when he'd wanted to.

She glanced around the room, sidestepping the drunk groping hand of Bacchus with a glare, and tried to find her boyfriend. But it was so crowded, and it seemed like everywhere she turned, she was being hit on again.

"Hey Lucy, why don't you take a load off? I've got a nice seat for you right here," Sting called, patting his lap suggestively.

"In your dreams," she muttered, pushing past his table to continue her quest as he laughed back. "Oh yeah baby! Always in my dreams!"

She sighed, lifting a hand to her forehead. At this rate, she was going to get a headache. Already, she wanted to leave, but she had to find him first. She wanted him right by her side before she made the trek back through that mess.

She'd gone only a few steps when another an swooped in and scooped her up in his arms. "Hey Luce! How about a dance!"

"Not right now, Natsu."

She smiled to ease the sting of her rejection, and though she could see he was disappointed, he grinned back. "Later though, okay?"

She offered a quick nod before resuming her search, leaving him to scout out the buffet. She took a deep breath and nearly cursed when she felt an arm drop over her shoulders.

"And what's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?"

The voice was smooth and deep, all in all a nice voice, but at the moment, all it did was irritate her to no end. She was sick of the constant barrage. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Forcing a smile on her face, she stepped out of his reach and said, "Hi Hibiki."

"Oh Lucy, you look absolutely stunning tonight," he hummed flirtatiously as he attempted to reach for her hand.

Lucy shook her head, trying valiantly to keep her cool. "No kissing, Hibiki. We talked about that."

"Ah yes...such a shame. Will you at least let me accompany you to your table?"

"Um...I'm actually not going that way right now, but it was nice seeing you." She felt bad dismissing him so casually, but she was on a mission and she really couldn't deal with his overly romantic gestures.

Standing on tiptoes, she scanned the room again, and once more found no sight of him. "Where the hell is he?"

"Where is who?" a deep voice asked, and Lucy's shoulders slumped.

This just wasn't her night. It seemed she was doomed to come across every single guy tonight that had ever asked her out. She turned, her smile fraying at the edges. "Yes Laxus?"

"You were asking where someone was," he mused, his arms folded across his chest and his eyebrow cocked in question. "Who are you looking for?"

"It's..." She paused just before the name slipped from her lips. She didn't want to just blurt it out like this, especially not to Laxus and not alone. Lifting her hand, she waved the inquiry away. "It's nothing."

The Lightning Dragon Slayer squared his shoulders and smirked. "I see."

"You see...what?" she asked, her forehead wrinkling with confusion.

His smug look deepened. "It's obvious. You were looking for someone, and as soon as I asked, you changed your mind. You were looking for me, weren't you?"

"Laxus, that's not..."

"It's okay. I knew you'd change your mind and come find me."

Lucy groaned out loud. What was wrong with men? Why did they always think they could convince a girl she like them? "I haven't changed my mind," she said firmly, hoping he'd take the hint. She did not want to have this conversation again and definitely not here.

"If you say so," he agreed with a knowing grin.

Before Lucy could answer, another arm dropped down onto her shoulder, and she lost it. She'd had it with all these infuriating men and their damn egos. With a low growl, she knocked the arm aside and spun around. "Get you fucking hands off me! I am not your damn woma-"

The words cut off abruptly as she looked up into bright red eyes and blushed. "Sorry about that..."

"So," Gajeel rumbled, arching a pierced brow at her. "You're not my woman?"

"No, that's not... I didn't know it was you!"

The Iron Slayer chuckled, then pulled her in against his side. "So you are my woman..."

"Of course I am," she said, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

"What the hell? You're dating Gajeel?"

Laxus' startled question brought Lucy's attention back around, and she blushed. "Yeah."

"Since when?" The blonde-haired man eyed her with a look of confusion.

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, but Gajeel broke in. "Doesn't matter. All you need to know is she's mine."

Laxus was quiet for a moment, watching the two of them with arms around each other, then he shook his head. "Whatever."

Lucy watched him walk away with a frown. She knew hearing about her relationship with Gajeel this way had hurt his pride, but she also knew that had he not found out about it, he'd had kept trying. And that would have only caused problems between him and Gajeel. Besides, he'd be fine. He was a great guy, and it wouldn't be long before some girl came along and made him forget all about her.

Turning back to Gajeel, she pouted. "Now, where have you been all night?"

He looked around the room with a scowl, then looked down at her. "Running around behind you, scaring off all those damn men."


	27. Secret Lovers

_This little prize was a first for me. I've never written anything for this particular couple, and strangely enough, it came pretty easily. This is for you, **Irdhollow.** Hope this is close to what you wanted. _

_This story was written in connection with another done by **Nicole4211. **So when you're done here, go read 'Crashing The Party' on her page. I think you'll like what we did here._

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**SECRET LOVERS**

Evergreen was a patient woman, one who could easily wait forever for things to happen, but that didn't mean she didn't have her limits. And once those limits had been reached, she was a force to be reckoned with. Most people knew this about her. Some would even call her a monster when angered. She didn't care what they said as long as they were smart enough to get out of her way.

But there was one soul who was determined to fight her on this, a man who knew her better than all others and still insisted on testing her patience. And even though a part of her found it tempting as all hell, it usually pissed her off.

And this time was no different. She'd been at the guild all day, thankfully taking a break from the rigorous training Laxus had put the Raijinshuu through and enjoying a nice glass of wine when Elfman had shown up. Immediately, she'd felt her interest pique, and her mind had instantly gone back a week before when he had shown up unexpectedly – and unannounced, she might add – to her house. He'd been demanding and forceful, something that ordinarily would have sent her flying off the deep end and regretfully zapping everything in sight to stone.

But that time, it had done the complete opposite. It had set a spark of arousal inside her, and she'd found herself letting him get away with that and a whole lot more. It had changed everything between them, but she hadn't been ready for that. She wasn't accustomed to being someone's woman, and Elfman had been very clear about that fact, something else that had her behaving unnaturally.

In the end, they'd compromised. They would date exclusively. She would see only him, and he would see only her, BUT it would stay just between them. She'd made sure that he understood how important that issue was for her, even going so far as to threaten his very life, though he had smirked like he'd known she was full of shit. Still, she'd gotten her way...for the most part.

But now, it seemed the big man wanted to punish her, and she hadn't quite figured out why. Perhaps he wasn't quite so thrilled with her desire to keep things hush-hush. It made sense and would certainly explain why he'd kept his distance for the last several days.

And she was feeling it. Ever since their night together, that was all she could think of, and it was driving her nuts. She wanted to strike him down for tying her up in such a way, and yet she also wanted nothing more than to drag him off to a back room and have her wicked way with him. Oh yes, the second idea had real potential...if the infuriating man would only cooperate.

But of course, that could never happen, not with such a stubborn oaf like Elfman. Ugh..she wanted to scream! He kept looking over at her, but every time she tried to catch his eye, he turned away. It was beginning to piss her off. That self-proclaimed patience was swiftly flying out the window, and once it was gone, there would be hell to pay.

She'd give him another five minutes, and then he was toast.

Six minutes later – it was just a courtesy and had no bearing on her feelings for him – and she was done. Shoving her chair back, she murmured an excuse to her group and strolled her way toward him. Regardless of her simmering fury, she was a lady, and she simply refused to barrel through the guild the way others were prone to do.

She flicked a careless glance around the room, silently thanking Mavis that everyone appeared to be busy, and made her way toward her boyfriend, her man, her incredibly large jackass. He barely spared her a look before he returned to his conversation with Mira, stoking the flames of anger inside her to new heights. She did not like to be ignored.

But she waited until his white-haired sister scuttled off to help someone else and leaned in with a harsh whisper. "I would suggest you meet me in the back office within 10 minutes if you have any desire to keep that thing between your legs stone-free."

With that colorful threat, she slinked away from the bar, not even bothering to look back. She knew he would come. He would push her buttons, taking his time until the last second, but he would come.

Sure enough, just as she'd predicted, he showed with at the last moment, literally stretching her timeframe to the very end, but she disregarded that in favor of finding out what was going on. She frowned at him, then gave his chest a push toward the wall. "Would you care to explain why you are avoiding me?"

Elfman stared down at her hand in silence, and Evergreen wondered if he'd let that pass. She'd seen him behave so reasonably at times, something that should have made her happy, and yet it was the instances when he would lose control that she found herself so drawn to. And what did that say about her?

The large man let his heated gaze drift down her body, causing every nerve inside her to stand to attention. But as his eyes drew back up to hers, she knew what he had to say would not make her happy.

"I don't want to keep this a secret."

His blunt response had her bristling with anger and driving a well-manicured nail into his hard chest. "You agreed to it! You said we didn't have to tell anyone."

"Well, I changed my mind," he argued, his face contorting with annoyance. "It's stupid for us to sneak around like this. I don't understand-"

But she didn't let him finish. He was messing everything up. Stupid man! "You don't need to understand! You just need to do what I tell you to do!"

As soon as the words were out, she wanted to call them back. She could see the way he flinched at her harsh response, and she wondered if she had crossed a line she couldn't return from. But then, he growled low in his throat and pushed away from the wall, using his large body to herd her back towards the desk. Suddenly she found herself pinned between a hard wooden surface and an extremely irate man.

His arms slammed down on either side of her, the loudness showing the immense power he held back every day. "I am not your dog," he rasped gruffly, easing his face right into hers. "I am a goddamn man! And you will show me some of the same respect I show you, or you can kiss this whole thing goodbye!"

That brash declaration should have sent her ire exploding. It should have pushed her to the brink of her sanity, but strangely it didn't. She'd never seen him like this before, his masculinity all but bursting at the seams, and she loved it.

His body was alive with tension, his eyes sparking with a fire she rarely got to see, and suddenly she was launching herself at him. She had no idea where it came from, but something about this domineering side of him had her tossing aside her need for distance and wholeheartedly embracing the idea of them together.

Elfman grunted as she smacked into him, but he didn't budge an inch. He simply folded her body in against his and dropped his mouth hungrily over hers.

Evergreen was certain she'd never known a kiss like his, and maybe it was the lust clouding up her mind, but she was beginning to see his point of view. If they were a couple all the time, not just in secret, she could do this whenever she wanted. She could have him any time she wanted.

The complete reversal of her thinking was a shock to say the least, and it sent her drawing away. But she got no further than an inch or two when those large hands scooped her up and deposited her roughly on the desk. She gasped as he wrenched her legs apart, and she couldn't make herself stop this.

Before she knew it, she was naked and spread eagle over the wooden surface with Elfman hammering away between her legs, and sweet Mavis it was incredible. She could already feel the coil inside her body tightening, and she knew it wouldn't be long. The only thing that concerned her was the scream that was edging its way up her throat, its pace set perfectly to her body's imminent release.

She knew she had to hold it in somehow. They'd already made enough noise to wake the dead, and it was a small wonder that no one had come back to see what was going on.

So when the violent wave crashed into her, she clamped her lips together and fought to keep the sound inside. But she was steadily losing the battle. Her insides were on fire, and the blaze was pushing that shout of pleasure up, urging it to burst from her mouth in a last surrender.

It was just too much, and just when she thought she could handle no more, Elfman dipped down onto her, his lips sealing over her in the nick of time. He swallowed down her scream, sucked it down as he plied her body with quick, insistent strokes, and then he was shuddering against her, finding his own release.

He pressed another long, slow kiss to her lips, and then pulled back, tugging her up into a sitting position once again. "Evergreen..."

She shook her head, knowing what he wanted to hear. "I know. We can tell everyone tomorrow."

Elfman's face instantly brightened, and he moved to take her lips again when the door burst open behind them, dropping a half-naked pair of bodies onto the floor. Elfman and Evergreen gaped at the scene as Lisanna and Bickslow fought to untangle themselves, and as soon as they did, Lisanna blushed a brilliant red.

Her partner however couldn't have been more unaffected, and with a smirk in his team mate's direction, he offered a little wave. "Sorry for the interruption. We'll just go back to our own room."

Bickslow grabbed for Lisanna's hand and tugged her back through the doorway, leaving Elfman to sputter angrily. "What the hell?!"


	28. The Scent Of A Woman

_This one's for **Naluforevaa**. Hope you like it!_

**_PAIRING: NaLu (Natsu/Lucy)_**

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**_Hiro Mashima _**_owns Fairy Tail._

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**THE SCENT OF A WOMAN**

"Hey Luce!"

Lucy glanced up at the familiar call and smiled. "Oh hey Natsu! What're you up to?"

"Coming to see you of course," he answered with a shake of his head. Why else would he be here, he thought. "Where've you been?"

"Just to the store. I was getting low on food."

Natsu's day brightened considerably at her mention of groceries, and he hurried toward her. "You've got food in those bags? Here, let me help carry some."

His blonde friend rolled her eyes. She obviously wasn't fooled by his attempt to be helpful, which wasn't all that surprising. Lucy was smart, and she knew him better than anyone else. So it was natural that she'd know he was just sneaking a peek at her goodies.

But honestly, who could blame him? It wasn't his fault he was always hungry, and she always bought the best stuff. How could he possibly resist?

Still, she didn't get angry at him, just shook her head in amusement and held out one armload of bags for him. "Thanks Natsu."

"So, what'd you get?" Natsu beamed back at her and grabbed at the proffered items, his eyes already dipping down to the contents. "So, what'd you ge..."

The words trailed off as an unusual scent caught his attention. He was certain he'd never come across it before, and it was strangely enticing. It coiled around him, sifting through his senses until he could do nothing but lean in to follow it back to its source.

The only problem with that was that it seemed to be coming from Lucy, and before he knew it, he was right up next to her, his nose a scant inch from her dainty arm. God, what was that? She smelled like heaven...like pure unadulterated heaven.

"Um...Natsu." Her voice called to him as if from far away, the tone curious and just a little worried.

He snapped back with a nervous laugh, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "Oh sorry Luce. Just thought I uh...saw something on your arm there."

The blonde eyed him for a long moment, and then she nodded. "Okay."

Natsu waited until she'd began walking again before drawing in a long breath. What was going on with him? He never acted like this. Sure, he was a dragon slayer, but he didn't make a habit of running around sniffing people. Then again, Lucy was a special case, and he'd been caught more than once sneaking a whiff of her delicate scent.

But there was something about it today that was totally different. Ordinarily, he thought Luce smelled great, and he couldn't deny he'd been tempted to see if she tasted just as good. But he'd never acted on it, and he'd never shoved his nose into her skin like a man without a lick of control. So what was it about this new scent that was screwing with him so badly?

"Natsu, you coming?"

Her question had him jolting back to attention and running after her. He pushed a smile onto his face, determined not to let whatever was tweaking his senses mess things up between him and his best pal. He jogged up to where she was waiting for him, and with a laugh, poked her in the side and ran. "Last one there's gotta cook dinner!"

"What?!" she called out from behind him, her raised voice panting as she raced after him. "Who invited you to stay for dinner!"

In spite of her harsh words, Natsu knew she'd never throw him out. She always fussed when he invited himself over, but in the end, she always caved. She could never stay mad at him for long, and for that he was thankful. A mad Lucy was one of the scariest things a man could ever see.

He made it to her house several seconds ahead of her, and he had to laugh when she came to a stop beside him.

"Oh my God, Natsu...I'm going...to kill...you." She mumbled as she bent over at the waist, trying to catch her breath.

Natsu could never figure out how Lucy kept such a great figure when it was obvious to anyone who knew her that she never worked out. In fact, she hated it. Running was one of her least favorite things to do though, and he knew when she finally managed to pull herself back up to a standing position that she'd be glaring at him.

Sure enough, moments later she hauled herself upright and scowled. "You know I hate running!" she griped as she waved a hand near her face.

And that little breeze she created stirred up that scent once again, and all at once, his amusement fell away. He found himself looking at her anew, his body angling toward her as if it had a mind of its own. He didn't know why but he couldn't stop staring at her, couldn't stop drawing in deep gulping breaths of the incredible smell wafting off of her skin.

Suddenly, she didn't look so foolish and out of shape. If nothing, she looked even sexier than she usually did, with her face flushed a pretty pink and her skin shining with a light sheen of sweat. Even those ragged breaths were winding him up inside, but what really sent his heart hammering in his chest was that tempting aroma.

Once again, he realized a second too late that he was moving closer, his body being led by his sensitive nose to the crook of her neck, and he nearly cursed. What the hell was he doing?

Lucy seemed to be wondering the same thing. She took a step back, her lips parting in surprise. "Natsu...w-what are you doing?"

He shook his head in dismay. "I-I'm sorry Luce. I just..." He let the words die because he didn't have a damn clue what to say. What could he say? He'd just shoved his nose into her neck and took a big whiff, and holy shit she smelled even better there.

"What's going on? Why do you keep...smelling me?"

Her expression was perplexed, and he couldn't blame her. He was acting bizarre as hell, and he couldn't even figure out why. There was just something about that scent that was making him crazy.

"I should probably just go home," he muttered, taking her keys and pushing into her house to deposit her groceries in the kitchen before he left.

But she stopped beside him at the counter, her hand coming up to rest on his chest. "Natsu, don't leave. Just...talk to me."

It was sweet. God knew it was sweet of her to worry about him, but she was too damn close. All he could smell was that cloying aroma - that mouth-watering, pants-stiffening scent stealing across his senses, and he snapped.

"God, you smell so fucking good..."

The gravely words tore from his throat just before his hands reached for her hips and yanked her forward. She let out a squeak at his abrupt action, but he couldn't stop himself. All he could think of was running his nose up the length of her neck, tasting the delicate skin over her pulse. He was hypnotized...it was the only excuse he had for his behavior, for the way he was crowding her against the edge of her counter and pressing his body into hers.

He was overwrought with sensation, and as his mouth came down over the thrumming in her neck, he knew he'd never felt so out of control. She was like the tastiest fire on his tongue, her flavor driving his already throbbing body into overdrive.

And God, he knew he needed to stop. He shouldn't be doing this. But he couldn't. Every inhale drew that exotic scent closer, wrapped it around him like a cloud of lust, and for once he wasn't strong enough to back down. He wanted her so damn bad.

But what if she didn't want him back? What if everything he was doing to her was something she hated? The thought of hurting her, of making her afraid was enough to pull him from the edge of insanity, and he had just about managed to extract his mouth from her delectable skin when Lucy uttered the sexiest sound he'd ever heard.

"Natsu..."

His name was a soft sigh on her lips, and he realized rather absently that she was clinging to his vest, her fingers tangling in the fabric as she arched her body into his. And it didn't take him long to understand that she wanted him.

Holy shit, Lucy wanted him.

His body ignited at that, fire welling up inside him and shooting straight to his groin, and he growled as he dove at her mouth. He couldn't get enough, his hands frantic on her body as he tugged at her clothes. God, he'd never wanted anyone more, and he couldn't for the life of him understand why he hadn't known it before.

How could he have been around her for so long without understanding that he was attracted to her? Oh but it was so much more. She was Lucy, and she could never just be the woman he desired. She meant too much, had buried herself too deep in his heart to ever just be a sexy body to him. And as they stripped away their clothes, and he lifted her up on the counter, he knew the truth. He was in love with her.

Natsu woke to the sound of birds chirping and the feel of the sun on his face, and he groaned, shifting away from the light. But he didn't get far. Something was draped over his body and he opened his eyes to see Lucy's pale form tangled up in the covers at his side. Her arm was thrown haphazardly across his midsection, and her head was snuggled up to his shoulder.

It was the most welcome sight he'd ever seen, and he smiled. He didn't think he'd ever been so happy, and it was all because of Lucy. Somehow, without even realizing it, he had fallen in love with her, and if her reaction to him was anything to go by, she loved him just as much.

It was amazing to think that just the day before they'd been friends, the best of friends of course, but still just friends. There'd been no hint of anything between them until he'd caught a whiff of that enticing scent, and then everything had gone up in flames.

It was wild to say the very least, but he couldn't be unhappy about it. Look what it had gotten him, a night he'd never forget and a woman he'd never known he wanted.


	29. A Hand In The Dark

_Okay guys...here it is, my very last request. And this one goes out to my pal, **WolfieANNE**. Sorry it took me so long, but it gave me a fit. lol Hope this is what you were looking for :D_

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**_Hiro Mashima _**_owns Fairy Tail._

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**A HAND IN THE DARK**

It was nearing 5 when Jellal finally made his way out of the school to head home. He'd had to stay late for a tutoring session with his math teacher, and it had gone a bit later than usual because finals were coming up. He'd gotten so far behind this last year, and his teachers had been kind enough to give him extra time and help catch up.

He'd been a mess when he'd lost his parents. It had been so sudden, going from a happy normal teenager to an orphan with nowhere to go in the space of only a moment. His entire life had changed with that one car wreck, and he'd gone downhill fast.

It had started small, skipping school to avoid the questions and concerns. How are you doing? I'm so sorry about your parents. Can I do anything to help? Each one was a reminder that he was alone, and he hated it. He'd supposed they trying to be there for him, but it had only made him angry and distant. And gradually, things had gotten worse. He'd been so overwhelmed with school, his new foster family, his life. Everything was so different and lonely. And he'd wanted nothing more than to hide.

He'd found himself slipping away to his room, hiding from everything and everyone. It was the one place he could be alone without the pitying looks, the hugs that never helped anyway. He just couldn't deal with it anymore, and that's when he'd begun drinking.

Jellal had hated life then. He'd woken up every day wishing he'd died with his parents and knowing no one could ever understand. And so he did the only thing he could – he stayed drunk as often as possible. He didn't want to think, didn't want to feel. He just wanted to drown it all.

It had taken him nearly causing a wreck himself to wake him up to the fact that he wasn't just hurting himself. His foster parents were at their wits end, and for the first time, he'd noticed the bags beneath their eyes. In his grief, he'd never even realized that they had worried, that they hadn't been sleeping.

He'd thought he was alone in this, but he was wrong. He'd learned that there were people that cared, that could understand what he was going through. All he had to do was let someone in, and once he had, it had slowly starting feeling like he could breathe again.

He wouldn't go so far as to say that he was over it. He'd never get over the loss of his parents, but he was learning to live with it. He was pushing through the pain and trying to find his way back to the guy he'd been before.

And that meant buckling down in school so he could still make college in the fall. He still had a lot of work to do, but for the first time in quite a while, he felt like he could do it. Finally, he felt like he had some hope.

He had just made it to his car when he realized that he'd forgotten his Calculus book, and with the extra work he had to do tonight, it wasn't something he could go home without. With a groan of annoyance, he tossed his book bag into his front seat and headed back inside. He made his way down the empty hall in silence, and had nearly reached his locker when he heard a sound that pulled him to a stop.

It was a pitiful sound, a soft little wail, and Jellal couldn't help but follow it to its source to an empty classroom. He opened the door quietly and found a small form huddled on the floor in the corner. It was obviously a girl with her small figure and her dainty wrists,, and when she brushed the hair from her face, he realized he knew her.

They didn't really run in the same circles, and to be honest, Jellal wasn't quite sure what her name was. But he hadn't exactly been all that insightful over the last several months. He couldn't say with any certainty that they hadn't actually met before.

Still unaware of his presence, she sniffled and dug something out of the pack beside her, and it took only the flash of reflected light on its surface for him to realize it was a tiny blade. He frowned as she set the sharp edge to her upper thigh and drew it across her skin.

He wasn't naïve. He understood what she was doing, and with the evidence of the small marks and scars littering her leg, he could see that she'd been at it for a while. It was clear that she was struggling with something, and if she was cutting, then she felt like she didn't have anyone to lean on. And he sure knew what that felt like.

Without even stopping to consider what he was doing, he stepped forward and dropped down beside her on the floor. She jumped at his sudden appearance and scrambled to hide what she'd been doing, but Jellal set a comforting hand on her arm.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to judge."

She eyed him warily, brushing covertly at her cheeks. "You're not gonna tell?"

"No, it's your business. Just thought you might like some company."

Her brow winged up at his suggestion, and she drew back. "You want to hang out with me..."

She sounded positively stunned, and Jellal couldn't for the life of him figure out why. "Yes," he chuckled. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, yeah. You're Jellal Fernandes." She said it so matter-of-factly, like it was some sort of affluent title.

A smile burst across his face at that. "Why yes, I am. Nice to meet you."

The blonde girl looked down at his proffered hand as if he'd offered her a snake, and he shook his head and laughed. "It won't bite you."

Her head lifted, and she gazed at him, all serious again. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you looked like you could use a friend. Because there was a time not too long ago that I needed a friend."

She blinked at him slowly, some pain flashing in her eyes, and then she cautiously reached for his hand. "I'm Lucy."

Jellal nodded, giving her an encouraging smile. "So Lucy...you wanna tell me why you're sitting in here all alone?"

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. "I...I don't think so. I mean, I don't even know you."

"Sure you do. I'm your friend, Jellal."

Still, she didn't seem convinced, so he leaned back against the wall and sighed, "I guess I'll start then. I had a great life a year ago. You might call it perfect. I had it all. Nice home, good grades, good friends...terrific parents, and then one night everything changed. My parents left the house to go on a date of all things..." He laughed mirthlessly and shook his head. "They were always doing that, acting like a couple of teenagers. It used to embarrass me so much. Now though..."

The blonde beside him tipped her head, her eyes holding a surprising amount of sympathy. "What happened?"

"They got in a wreck on the way home. They were killed instantly."

Her eyes filled, and she sniffed. "I'm so sorry. I...I didn't know."

"I lost everything that night, and I felt so alone, like no one could possibly understand what I was going through. And all I wanted to do was hide. I wanted to forget that they were gone, that my life had suddenly turned to shit, but I couldn't. So I started drinking, and it worked...for a while. But nothing could erase the truth. They weren't ever coming home."

He looked over at her and shrugged. "I nearly got myself killed one night, and that's when I realized that I needed to get my shit straight again. I was throwing my life away, and my parents wouldn't want that. So now, I'm trying to catch up with my school work so I can still get into college."

It was silent for several minutes, and then she spoke, her words a soft whisper. "My mom died. She had cancer...the kind that takes you slowly. She said it gave her time to say everything she wanted to say first, but I just wanted her to go." She gave a choked sob, then shook her head. "That sounds so awful, doesn't it? I just hated to see her in pain like that. And now that she's gone, my dad...he's gone too."

The blonde took a deep shuddering breath, as if she were pulling the words from deep inside her, a place she had stuffed them because there'd been no one to listen. And Jellal knew what that felt like, so he waited, giving her the time to find what she needed to say.

"He works all the time now, and..." She bit her lip as more tears spilled down her cheeks. "I...I think he hates me. He gives me this look sometimes, like the very sight of me hurts him. It took me a while to figure it out, but I think it's because I look so much like Mama. He just...he's never around, and when he is, all he does is avoid me. And I..."

She broke down then, hard wracking sobs taking over her small body, and Jellal looked over in understanding. He knew what this was like too, that moment when you finally let yourself say it, when you finally admit the truth out loud. It was hard, and God, it hurt.

He slipped an arm around her shoulder, easy her small frame against him, and she came willingly, clutching at his shirt as if holding on for dear life. He could feel the fierceness of her sorrow, and he was surprised by how much he hated it for her. He didn't really know this girl. He'd seen her around, but had never taken the time to memorize her name, but somehow in this moment of shared tragedy, he felt like he did know her.

Maybe by sharing their deepest darkest secrets, they'd become connected. He felt like she truly understood what he'd gone through, and from the fact that she'd revealed her own pain, she seemed to feel the same way about him.

And sure, he didn't have all the answers for her, and maybe saying everything they felt wouldn't change a thing about their circumstances, but somehow it helped, knowing that someone out there in the world could relate. It was difference between standing in front of his parents' graves alone and standing there with a friend holding his hand. And that meant the world to him, so he wouldn't squander it. He'd be there for her, give her a shoulder to cry on, be a sounding board to vent to...whatever she needed, because the truth was, he needed her too. For the first time, he felt like he wasn't alone in his mourning, and now neither was she.

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_**A/N: I'd just like to say that I'm not promoting the idea of cutting. I have known several people who've done it, but I myself have not. That's not to say that I don't empathize with what they've been through because I do. I know there are a lot of situations where you have no control, when it feels like everything in the world is crashing down around you, and there's nowhere to turn, no hope in sight. **_

_**I've been there, and it's frightening to feel so alone. So here's what I'd like to say: If you feel like this, talk to someone. Maybe it's a friend, maybe a parent or a teacher. Maybe a FF pal because I sure have found some amazing ones here. But talk to someone about what you're dealing with - hell, talk to me. But don't keep it inside. Those dark emotions and fears will find a way to come out, to express themselves, and many times those alternate ways do nothing but hurt you worse. **_

_**So use your words and tell your tale. Because people are listening. Someone out there is just like you, looking for someone else who can relate. Remember, you don't have to be alone in this. There are people out there who can help, people who care. And I'm one of them. So stay happy, my friends...and stay healthy. **_

_**Your words are your freedom - go find them. **_


End file.
